


The Sun and The Moon

by Night_Hawk94 (orphan_account)



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), bughead - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Investigative Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, JB is Jug’s twin, Love Confessions, Shameless Smut, Smut, So much smut, Strangers to Lovers, discussions about literature, look there’ll be a healthy dose of fluffy sexy and sleuthing Bughead in this one, not a slow burn at all, serpent-photographer!Jughead, she’s also a badass, writer!betty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:01:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 31,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24524260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Night_Hawk94
Summary: Jughead Jones was a loner.Even in a world where he was considered to be a prince of sorts, he avoided the company of others, preferring the pages of worn books and his inner thoughts instead.People on the Southside knew to respect to him. To avoid him.But Betty Cooper wasn’t from his side of the train tracks.She was different.A unconventional meeting and a sexy, late night tryst in a bathroom stall at Pops was enough to leave them both captivated, craving each other like they never have before.With their senior year fast approaching and a new threat looming over the town of Riverdale though, will the sanctuary they’ve managed to find in each other be enough or will the powers that be never allow it?
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 100
Kudos: 253
Collections: 7th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees





	1. Hot Coffee and A Safe Place To Hide

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of my new fic. 
> 
> Warning: Smut ahead ;)

It was nearing midnight when a roll of thunder rumbled through the air, disturbing the silence and pulling Jughead Jones from his thoughts. 

Inhaling deeply through his nose, he let out a heavy sigh and shifted in his seat, uncrossing and then crossing his feet again at the ankles where they were resting on the table in front of him. 

Normally loud noises didn’t bother him in the slightest, but tonight was different. Tonight he was on edge. More so than usual. 

If being a Southside Serpent had taught him anything over the last four years it was that he always needed to be vigilant. Aware of his surroundings and anyone who was in it. 

He opened his eyes and looked around. 

Pops Chocklit Shop was quiet and mostly empty. He’d chosen his regular booth, the one in the far corner near the front windows, giving him an unobstructed view of the neon-lit diner and its two other patrons. 

Mr Holloway, a quiet, elderly man and a regular customer like him, was seated at the front counter, drinking his usual cup of black coffee and reading an out of date newspaper. 

Nothing strange or out of the ordinary there. 

Jughead cast his eyes towards the lone woman occupying a booth on the opposite end of the diner next. 

He didn’t recognise her. 

She’d been sitting there already when he had arrived a couple of hours ago and given that her eyes were closed now and the hood of her sweatshirt had been pulled over her head, which was slumped against the back of the chair she was sitting in, he quickly deduced that she was probably an out-of-towner just passing through. 

Not an uncommon sight to see in this particular 24 hour diner. 

Neither was Pop Tate’s only granddaughter making her way towards him with a bright smile and a fresh pot of coffee. 

“Top up?” She asked. 

Jughead smirked and drew his combat boot clad feet off the table, straightening up. 

“Do you even need to ask that question anymore, Tara?” He said in a rhetorical fashion, nudging his empty cup in her direction. 

She poured the coffee, giving him a mildly chastising look. “Anyone ever tell you, you drink way too much of this stuff?” 

“Yup, all the time.” Jughead replied as he lifted the cup to his mouth and drank some. A quiet chuckle spilling from his lips when Tara rolled her eyes at him fondly and walked away. 

It was true that he was a loner. By nature and also by choice, but even he had to admit, he had a uncharacteristically soft spot for Tara Tate. 

As a rule he preferred the company of his thoughts or the pages of a worn book over meaningless conversations and relationships, but he always had a few minutes to spare for her. 

He knew it was because she treated him nicely. Sometimes giving him a cup of coffee on the house or the last slice of pie if no one else wanted it. Because like her grandad she was kind. Decent. Refusing to judge him based solely on a patch stitched into the leather jacket he always wore. 

It definitely wasn’t a courtesy he extended to everyone, mostly because very few people were willing to extend it to him in the first place. 

Whether he was on the North or Southside didn’t matter. Everyone in Riverdale knew it was in their best interests to stay far away from him. 

With a sigh, Jughead sipped his coffee again, grimacing at the bitter aftertaste in his mouth before he picked up his copy of Atonement by Ian McEwan and started to read again. 

He’d just reached the part where Bryony spies on her sister and Robbie at the fountain from her bedroom window when the soft tinkle of a bell caught his attention. 

After years of coming to Pops during its after dark hours, Jughead liked to think he knew exactly what kind of crowd liked to frequent the diner after midnight, but when he lifted his head, he froze, his eyes landing on the last person he ever expected to see. 

It was her. 

It was definitely her. 

The blonde ponytail. The gentle features of her face. Her v-necked sweater and flared skirt combo were all dead giveaways. 

A frown settled on his brow and a million questions piled into his head, but in the end only one really mattered. 

What on earth was Betty Cooper - _good-girl-never-break-the-rules Betty Cooper_ \- doing at Pops at this ungodly hour? 

Momentarily stunned, he sat there and watched as she wiped her red and puffy eyes with the sleeve of her jersey before quickly sinking into a booth not too far away from his own, expelling a loud, but shaky sigh. 

Jughead was good at reading people. 

He even considered himself to be something of an expert, but when Betty lowered her head into her hands and he saw her body jerk in a way that made it clear she was crying or, trying not too at least, he was certain even the most unobservant person would’ve picked up on how upset she was. 

He kept his eyes fixed on her, his heart filling with concern and pity the longer he stared. 

He had to remind himself then that even though they had lived in the same town for their entire lives. Went to places like Pops or the Bijou or the Twilight Drive-In, attended the same school, shared the same classes and walked the same streets and hallways, he didn’t know a thing about her. 

That on its own was reason enough for him to stay where he was and leave the whole situation alone. 

Besides, she wouldn’t want his help anyway. 

He was probably nothing more than Southside Serpent scum in her eyes. Someone to be feared rather than trusted. 

With that in mind and a grimace twitching at the corners of his mouth, Jughead focused on his book again. Pushing any lingering thoughts he still had about the blonde haired girl sitting only a few meters away from him out of his mind. 

He managed to succeed in that endeavour until Betty’s phone suddenly went off, the intrusive noise capturing his attention far too easily much to his own annoyance. 

“What mother?” Jughead heard Betty snap as soon as she answered the call. 

He peered over the top of his book, long enough to trail his eyes over her face, trying to read her expression. 

Whenever he’d happened to see Betty at any point in the past she’d always come across as fairly hard to decipher. Not overly happy, but not exactly sad per sé. He’d never seen her like this though. Scowling and drained. Her usually emerald green eyes dull. Her spirit broken. 

_Just ... broken._

He kept his head down, pretending to read the words on the pages in front of him while he listened, trying to piece together what she was talking to her mother about until part of the answer finally exploded from her. 

“Well that’s just it, mom. You clearly don’t understand! If you did we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now!” Betty seethed, her voice festering with unbridled anger. She paused then, taking in whatever her mother was probably yelling at her through the phone, “Yeah well ... whatever, I’m over this!” She said out of nowhere, ending the call and dropping her phone onto the table with more force than she probably needed. 

Jughead’s lips curled into a smirk. He wasn’t sure why, but something about that really impressed him. 

Perhaps he and everyone else in this small town hadn’t given her enough credit. 

Perhaps underneath all those sweaters and skirts Betty Cooper was actually a badass. 

Strong yet somehow still unassuming. Perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Nothing like the submissive, perfect little girl she was often painted out to be. 

He contemplated the thought, eying her with a newfound level of curiosity. Fascinated, but not that surprised by the discovery. 

He wasn’t in the habit of making judgements about people unless they gave him a good reason too and up until now, Betty Cooper hadn’t. 

He was pleased in a way, because he got to see her like this. Flawed and lost in herself. In a light he assumed very few people knew existed. 

Jughead couldn’t help, but wonder what else she might be hiding or question how badly he actually wanted to know. 

_Would she even tell him or open up to him if he asked?_

Normally he would already know the answer, but with her he found it hard to decide. 

He was caught off guard suddenly when Betty turned her and looked directly at him. 

His heart stopped immediately. 

She’d caught him staring. 

_Shit ... shit!_

“Can I help you with something?” She asked, the icy bite from the argument with her mother still there. 

“Oh um .. I - I uh ... I just -” Jughead started to panic when Betty raised her eyebrows at him expectantly. He looked around, latching onto the first thing he happened to see which was his mug of now lukewarm coffee, “I just ... I wanted to ask if I could buy you a ... a cup of coffee, maybe?” 

As soon as the words left his mouth he cringed internally, somehow resisting the urge he had to punch himself in the face. 

This wasn’t him. 

He wouldn’t offer to buy someone he hardly knew a coffee, and if he ever had to, he would try his best to avoid sounding like a total idiot while doing it. 

Apparently though, that wouldn’t be the case with her. 

_Jesus Christ ... What the hell was wrong with him?_

“You want to buy me a cup of coffee?” Betty asked incredulously, her brow creasing with obvious confusion when he gave her a silent nod, “Why?” 

Now that was a good question. 

_Why did he want to buy Betty Cooper a cup of coffee?_

After what he’d just witnessed, the answer was simple really, but Jughead still hesitated before he said anything. Unsure of whether or not she would believe him. He bit the inside of his lip, turning the book he was still holding over in his hands. Judging by the expression she had on her face, he was skeptical she would. 

In the end, he had no choice left but to find out. 

“I uh ... overheard that conversation you were having with your mom and I just thought maybe you could use a pick me up.” 

Betty swallowed hard and shifted her eyes away from him while he spoke. He could tell that she was embarrassed. Perhaps even mortified that the fight with her mother hadn’t gone as unnoticed as she’d probably hoped it would. 

Feeling a tinge of guilt prick his heart, Jughead set his book down on the table in front of him, not missing the way she tried to discreetly wipe away a few more tears with the sleeve of her jersey. He sighed, wishing he hadn’t said anything now. 

“Look,” He began, “I know this might sound a bit cliched, but drinking something hot usually helps when you’re upset.” 

She made a noise, one that sounded a lot like scoff. 

“You really believe that?” 

Jughead gave his shoulder a shrug, “Hasn’t let me down so far.” 

Betty studied him for a long moment, a whole range of emotions passing over her face until something resembling interest and indecision finally settled on her features. 

“You hardly know anything about me and I ... well ... I definitely don’t know much about you either.” 

“Yeah, I know that,” Jughead lifted his head then, meeting and holding her gaze, “But it’s just a cup of coffee. Nothing more, I swear.” 

For the first time that night, he saw Betty dither. Watched as she fiercely debated with herself. Most likely using the time to weigh out her options so she could make a decision. 

He waited awkwardly, part of him kicking himself for doing this in the first place until she finally moved and stood up slowly. 

“Just one cup.” She repeated, walking over to his table. Eyeing him in a way that made it clear she was being serious. 

Jughead held up his hands and nodded in agreement, showing her that he was harmless. 

“Nothing more.” He promised. Fighting back a smile when she exhaled quietly and slipped into the seat opposite him. 

~ 

Two hours ago, if someone had told Jughead that he would be sharing a booth with Betty Cooper he would’ve burst out laughing and called them crazy. 

The only reason why he allowed himself to believe that it was true now was because he was seeing it with his own eyes. 

He tried not to stare, which admittedly, was a lot harder to do than he thought it would be. 

Over the course of almost eighteen years he’d never been this close to her and now that he was he noticed things. Subtle details, like the light scattering of moles and freckles she had on her skin, that he never wanted to unsee again. 

His mouth dipped a little and he stopped himself. He couldn’t think like that. Not now in a situation that was so bizarre and existed purely on borrowed time or however long it would take Betty to finish her drink. 

He was just being nice. Helpful. Kind. Towards someone who clearly needed it. Nothing more. Nothing less. 

Jughead breathed an internal sigh of relief when Tara appeared at their table and poured some fresh coffee in their mugs. Giving him a chance to compose himself without anyone noticing. 

“Thanks.” Betty murmured softly, her lips tilting into a barely there smile. 

Tara grinned as well. Though hers was bigger and a lot warmer. “No problem, Betty. Now that you’re here, maybe you can get this one to lay off on the late night caffeine stints.” 

Jughead eyes narrowed at the comment, even more so when Tara sent a wink in his direction. A snarky response just waiting to slip out of his mouth until he caught sight of Betty and the soft pink hue that stained her cheeks. 

_Wait a minute ... was ... was Betty Cooper blushing because of him?_

It was barely visible, but it was definitely there. 

He blinked with surprised and felt his stomach flip, having not expected that kind of reaction from her. 

To be honest, when she had agreed to his offer and had gotten up to join him, he hadn’t thought much about what could possibly transpire between them. 

Now, he was wondering if he should have. 

Still processing, Jughead watched Betty as she added a dash of milk and some sugar to her coffee, waiting until she was done before he grabbed the latter. 

“I take mine black.” He explained when she seemed curious. 

“Right, I ... I probably should’ve guessed that.” Betty said shyly. 

He smirked, tilting his head to the side with intrigue. “Does it seem like an obvious choice for me?” He asked. 

“A little,” She said, hiding a smile behind a sip, “Kinda fits with your whole broody aesthetic.” 

Jughead chuckled. If anyone else had said that to him he would’ve taken offence to it. Coming from her though it sounded like a compliment. 

“I get it. I mean, looking at you ... you seem more like a strawberry milkshake kind of girl than a coffee drinker.” 

It wasn’t a guess. He already knew he was right given that every time he’d seen her at Pops in the past there’d usually been one in front of her. 

“You’re not wrong,” Betty admitted with a soft laugh, cupping her hands around the porcelain mug in front of her, “But I actually like coffee as well. I’d drink a lot more of it if my mom allowed me to.” 

“Allowed you to?” Jughead repeated, frowning when she lifted her head and looked at him. Her eyes sad. Guarded. 

He stayed silent, waiting. Searching for any hint of what she was hiding or that she was going to say something, until Betty broke eye contact with him and lifted the cup to her lips, taking a sip of her coffee instead. 

He sighed quietly, feeling a part of himself deflate. Disappointed, but not surprised. 

_What the hell was he expecting anyway?_

_For her to tell him her life story?_

Jughead grimaced at his own foolishness. _Get a grip Jones._

“Is this any good?” He heard Betty ask then, realising after a moment that she was pointing at his book. 

“It’s brilliant.” He slid the novel over the surface of the table towards her, grinning when she picked it up and started reading the back flap immediately, “Have you seen the movie?” 

“No,” Betty gave her head a shake, still scanning over the synopsis on the back, “Is it worse or better?” 

“About the same actually.” 

“Wait ... really?” Apparently it astonished her to hear that and for some reason that made something incredibly warm pull inside him. 

“I know,” He laughed, “One of the few rare occasions where the book and movie adaption are pretty much on the same level of greatness.” 

“Truly unheard of.” Betty agreed with a kind of giggle that made his insides clench. 

He considered asking her if she wanted to watch it, or more specifically, if she wanted to watch it with him, but refrained. Remembering the situation and why it existed. 

She was here because she had caught him staring, and like a total moron, he’d stumbled his way through an offer he wouldn’t normally make to try and cover up his own embarrassment. 

Not because she liked him. Not because it was her idea. 

Jughead forced himself to swallow, realising that if he hadn’t been so careless he wouldn’t be in this booth with her, breaking every stereotype in the book. 

“So it’s about a girl who lies about something she witnesses out of jealousy?” 

The sound of Betty’s voice pulled Jughead from his jumbled up thoughts and back to reality. He gave his head a shake, feeling his neck warm when he saw that she was staring at him already. A touch of what looked like amusement swimming in her eyes. 

“Essentially,” He began, stifling a cough behind a gulp of coffee, “It’s more about how that one lie she tells, whether out of jealousy or spite or a need for attention, results in a series of terrible consequences that don’t necessarily affect her, but the people around her, thus fuelling her desire to atone for what she’s done, hence the name of the novel. It’s actually a really insightful look into ... into uh ...” He trailed off then, ducking his head sheepishly. 

He had a tendency to overwhelm people with his thoughts sometimes and the last thing he wanted to do was scare Betty off by going all literary nerd on her. 

“A really insightful look into what?” She asked after a beat. 

Jughead snapped his eyes back up to hers, raising his eyebrows when she seemed to be genuinely interested in what he had to say. 

_Well that’s ... unexpected._

Maintaining eye contact with her, he rested his elbows on the table, relaxing a little when a smile curled on her mouth. 

“Into how our perception of something, like an event, changes with age.” 

“Hmm, that’s interesting,” Betty commented, her tone indicating that she meant it, “Not exactly a common theme though. Did the author choose to explore it in a specific way?” 

_Theme ... author ... explore._

Jughead felt his heart practically stop and his breathing slow. 

Betty Cooper was a literature buff. 

That didn’t shock him as much as it should have. She had that air about her after all. Quiet. Intelligent. Capable of deep, analytical thought. 

A lot Like him in a way. 

Suddenly his leather jacket felt restrictive. Heavy on his shoulders. Trapping the heat he had radiating off his body now. He worked his throat a few times, trying to soothe it when it went dry. 

If she wasn’t an enigma to him already she certainly would be now. 

Somehow though, he managed to maintain his composure, long enough for his lips to tug into an easy, crooked smile and for his usual confidence to return. 

“Tell you what,” Jughead said, leaning forward just a little, “Why don’t you take my copy and read it. Then we can sit down and talk.” 

He meant it. 

He wanted it to be a real offer. He wanted to hear that light giggle of hers and hear her say yes. For her to look at him the way she had more than once this evening already. With interest and a degree of trust. 

However he was also prepared to accept the possibility of this moment, and whatever it meant, coming to an end if she chose to slide the book back towards him, letting him down gently. He steeled himself, waiting. 

“Do you really mean that?” Betty asked in a whisper. 

Chuckling, Jughead inclined his head, his smirk gradually softening into a reassuring smile. “Yeah, I do.” 

She bit her bottom lip, indecision and uncertainty flickering in her green eyes as they bore into his. He wondered what was on her mind then. Whether she believed him or if she felt the same way. 

It was all a bit confusing really. 

Before tonight, Betty Cooper had been just another person to him. Always seen from afar, but never approached. Not because he was scared or didn’t think he could. He could’ve gone up and spoken to her ages ago in front of the entire town if he really wanted too. 

No. That wasn’t the reason. He simply preferred it that way. 

He preferred being alone. 

Now though, he was fascinated and just like anything else that had captured his attention before, he wanted to know more. 

He wanted to know everything. 

Jughead counted the seconds in his head as the silence between them stretched on. He rationed his breaths the entire time, only for the air in his lungs, along all the tension in his body, to dissipate when Betty’s phone started ringing just as she opened her mouth, cutting her off before she could say anything. 

His lips twisted with disappointment when he saw Alice’s name on the screen. 

So did Betty’s. 

She stared at the phone for a few seconds, deliberating what to do, before she ended the call and slipped it back into her pocket. 

Jughead felt like congratulating her. 

He’d only encountered Betty’s mother maybe a handful of times throughout his life, but even he knew how much courage it took to defy her like that. 

The look of admiration he had on his face quickly vanished though when he noticed her tensed jaw and the sadness creeping back into her eyes again. 

He stalled, not quite sure what to do. 

Just over half an hour ago he’d overhead Betty arguing with her mom on the phone and shortly after that she’d completely dodged a question related to her. 

Whatever this was, it was a sensitive topic. One that clearly weighed down heavily on her thoughts and that Jughead knew he should probably leave alone. 

And yet he had a strange inkling to try. To offer to help her in some way if he could. 

It seemed ridiculous, but maybe here, in this completely unexpected situation they were in, she would be crazy enough to share her troubles with a total stranger like him. 

He wasn’t a monster or some unfeeling asshole who didn’t care. That’s just what he wanted everyone to think. Everyone except her. At any rate, it was worth a try. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” He spoke so quietly he wasn’t sure Betty had even heard him until she refocused her eyes and looked at him. 

“What?” She asked flatly. 

“Your mom,” He tried again, “Do you want to talk about it?” 

“Oh um ...” Betty faltered momentarily, clearly stunned and not exactly sure how to respond. But when she looked at him, timid and wary again, he already knew what she was going to say, “Look Jughead, I appreciate you buying me this coffee and making small talk with me, but as I said before we ... we don’t know each other. How am I supposed to trust you enough to talk about something like that?” 

“I guess you can’t,” He leaned back, folding his arms across his chest, “Unless I could make you a guarantee of some kind.” 

“A guarantee?” 

“That whatever you tell me stays between us in this booth.” 

Betty raised an eyebrow at him skeptically. “Why would you do that for me?” 

“Because I understand what you’re going through,” Jughead said, placing his forearms on the glossy surface of the table, his eyes serious and still locked with hers, “Because I’m one of the few people in this town who knows what it’s like to deal with a difficult parent. Take your pick.” 

He expected Betty to be startled by the admission. He even expected to see a degree of pity cast over her features. What he didn’t expect to see was a look, distinctly visible in her eyes, that told him she already knew or at least suspected that about him. 

Being from the Southside he guessed a lot of people assumed he had a bad life. Harsh and riddled with various types of misfortunes. 

Nothing like the Northside where the hardest thing most residents had to deal with was stuff like adultery, fake people and bouts of small town gossip. 

In a way they weren’t wrong, but in many ways they were only scraping the surface as well. 

None of them knew the truth. None of them really knew what happened south of the train tracks and it was best kept that way. 

“I’m sorry.” Betty apologised quietly and out of nowhere, watching him now with genuine remorse. 

Jughead shrugged a shoulder in return, offering her a sad, half smile as if to say; _it is what it is_. He drank more of his coffee when another wave of silence covered them, idly pondering to himself how much he would be willing to share with her if she asked him too. 

_How much would she want to know?_

_How much would he want her to know?_

He was still debating when he heard Betty clear her throat softly. 

“O-over the summer I’ve been interning at The Riverdale Register, which I’m sure you know is owned by my mom,” Jughead brought his eyes up to her as soon as he heard her speak. She paused briefly, looking vulnerable. Her voice low and cautious and he wondered where this was going, “She wants me to be a journalist like her and for a long time I wanted that as well. My whole life was about it at one point. Tonight I told her I’d changed my mind.” 

Jughead’s eyebrows lifted at that. 

He may not know much about Betty Cooper beyond what he saw, but he definitely hadn’t seen this coming. For the last two years she’d been running the paper at Riverdale High and by “running” he meant completely revamping The Blue and Gold so it had a little more substance behind it. 

Finding out that she might’ve done that for other reasons aside from passion, surprised and intrigued him all the same. 

“Can I ask why?” 

Betty’s smiled at the question, but when it didn’t reach her eyes, Jughead got the feeling that whatever the answer was, it was bad. 

“Because I realised I didn’t have control anymore,” She murmured dejectedly, “My mother’s been pulling the strings for years, Jughead. What I should eat, what I should wear, what I can or can’t drink,” She gestured towards the coffee as an example, “What kind of person I should to be, what career I should choose. All of these decisions about my future, my life, whether they were big or small, were being made by her without my consideration,” She took a breath then and closed her eyes, trying to steady herself, “So I decided I was done. That I wasn’t going to study journalism in college.” 

“I’m guessing she didn’t take that too well?” Jughead asked slowly, his chest tightening with sympathy when Betty let out a humourless laugh. 

“No she didn’t.” She replied bitterly, tears forming in the ducts of her eyes, “Apparently I’m a disappointment and a terrible daughter who won’t amount to anything ...” 

With every word that came out of her mouth, Jughead felt his heart give a little. He wasn’t the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve. Especially around people he didn’t know, but seeing Betty on the verge of crying really struck a chord with him. 

That’s when he noticed her hands, clenched so tightly into fists that her knuckles had turned white. 

“Betty!” 

Panic quickly set in and without thinking Jughead stood up and moved to the other side of the booth. He slipped in next to her and reached for her hands immediately, gently uncurling her fingers with his. 

What he saw shocked him to his very core. 

_Cuts_. 

Dozens of little crescent shaped cuts littered the delicate skin on her palms. 

He swallowed at the sight of them, his mouth dipping at corners into a grimace. Some were old. White scars permanently embedded into her flesh. While others were fairly new. Still tender and scabbed over. 

Jughead gritted his teeth when he spotted the ones she’d just made, not missing the small amount of blood peeking out the newly damaged skin and on her nails. 

Unchecked rage coursed through his entire body. It wasn’t hard to figure what was going on here. 

_Fuck Alice Cooper!_

_Fuck her and every single fucking thing about her!_

When Betty tensed up, he held her hands a little more firmly in his, stopping her when she tried to pull them away. 

“Jug ...” 

She was ashamed. He could tell by the way her voice trembled with emotion that she felt exposed now. Scared. Which was ... understandable. In his haste to stop and help her he’d completely forgotten that before an hour ago they had barely exchanged less than a handful of words to each other. 

He wasn’t meant to see something so personal, but now that he had, the last thing he wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable. 

Letting out a sigh, Jughead looked her in the eyes, hoping she could see that he meant well. That she was safe, here in this booth with him. 

That her secret would be safe. 

“Hey ... It’s okay.” He whispered, emphasising that unspoken promise even more. His thumbs brushed over her marred skin, trying to comfort her. 

When the agony in her eyes didn’t diminish, he chose to act on impulse, trying something bold and completely nuts instead. Dropping his gaze he brought her hands together, cradling them in the safety of his palms before he lifted them up and pressed a kiss to her fingers. 

Her soft intake of breath made Jughead freeze, his lips lingering on the spot he’d chosen longer than he had intended. 

In that moment, he should’ve been more worried about what her reaction meant, but all he could focus on was how soft her skin felt against his mouth. Reality eventually sunk in and he inhaled through his nose, breathing out a gust of warm air as he pulled back. 

_Jesus ... What the hell was wrong with him tonight?_

“Betty, I’m sorry I -“ 

Something hard and incredibly warm crashed right into his body then, cutting him off mid-sentence. 

Jughead didn’t realise it was Betty until he felt her slender arms wrap around him, engulfing him in an unexpectedly tight hug. 

His only thought, when he managed to hug her back, was that she smelt amazing. Like vanilla and something uniquely sweet which he never, ever wanted to forget. 

“Thank you.” She whispered into the collar of his jacket. He nodded, not sure what else to do or say, and held her tighter. 

They stayed like that - just like that - until Jughead got used to her head being on his shoulder and the way her breath both warmed and tickled the side of his neck at the same time. 

Truth be told, it was the longest he had ever hugged or held someone. 

Definitely the first time he’d ever cuddled with a person, if he could even call it that. 

It had felt a little weird at first. Almost out of character for him, but when her body relaxed next to his and she tucked herself into his side, he slowly succumbed to the feeling of having someone so close to him. 

It was ... _nice_. 

In fact, Jughead was kind of surprised by how easily stuff like resting his head on top of hers and stroking his free hand along her upper arm came to him. 

He also used the uninterrupted minutes to think. Mostly about Betty and what he’d learnt over the last hour. He always assumed there was more to her than meets the eye, but he never imagined anything remotely close to what turned out to be the truth. 

Despite their past, or lack thereof, it horrified him to know that a situation as awful as this had been allowed to fester for years because no one knew. 

Or worse, they did, but chose not to do anything about it. 

It seemed that regardless of all the friends she had and her so-called ‘perfect’ life, she was just like him. Alone and misunderstood. 

“You came here, because you felt like you had nowhere else to go, didn’t you?” He said, his deduction breaking the silence around them. 

Betty sniffed and nodded sombrely, the hand she had tucked under his jacket pressing into his ribs a little more. He winced slightly, feeling a twinge of discomfort shoot through him, but quickly put it out of his mind. 

“Yeah, I don’t know why,” She mumbled around a weak laugh, “I guess Pops has always been a safe place for me.” 

Jughead smiled crookedly into her hair, giving her arm a squeeze as he pulled her an inch closer. “Well I guess we do have something in common after all, Cooper.” 

“We do?” Betty asked, leaning back to look at him quizzically when she saw him give his head a nod, “How so?” 

“Let’s just say this isn’t the first time I’ve had to pull an all-nighter at Pops.” 

As expected, his quiet and mildly despondent tone made her brow crinkle into a frown, the question she desperately wanted to ask him now clear in her eyes, but still sitting on the tip of her tongue. 

_Why?_

Heaving out a sigh, Jughead turned his head away and avoided her gaze for a moment. He suddenly found himself treading in uncharted waters, trying to think of the best way he could answer that without scaring her off. 

God, where would he even begin? 

Like he suspected with her, there was a lot to tap into. Years and years worth of baggage to unload. He wouldn’t get into that. Not tonight, but maybe he could give her something that was as profound as what she’d bravely revealed to him. 

Jughead straightened up when he faced her again, shifting so that they weren’t sitting as close as they had been a moment ago. 

“I want to show you something Betty, but before I do, I need to make sure you want to see this.” 

His eyes were intense as they sank into hers, watching as she considered and reconsidered what he was saying. He waited for a response, the silence making her noticeably swallow. 

“I want to see,” She eventually answered, “I ... I want to know, Jug.” 

Even though her voice was barely louder than a whisper, there was no denying that Betty sounded certain. That she’d made up her mind. 

After searching her face for any sign of doubt and finding none, Jughead worked his throat, forcing the lump back down into his stomach. 

If she really wanted to know he wasn’t going to refuse her. 

Glancing over his shoulder, he made sure Tara, Mr Holloway and the out-of-town woman were still preoccupied before he let out a sigh and reached for the hem of his t-shirt, slowly rolling it up. 

His eyes closed the second he heard Betty let a gasp slip out. 

He didn’t have to look to know that she could see the dark, purple bruises that covered his rib cage and lower abdomen or that the large and rather unsightly scar etched jaggedly into the skin just beneath his right pec was also visible now. 

He had absolutely no idea how she would react. Whether he would open his eyes and find her gone, scared off by the dangerous circumstances that had brought this on or if he’d see her staring at him with sympathy and understanding in those green eyes of hers. 

What he hadn’t anticipated was her fingers ghosting over the still tender and blemished skin. His muscles tensed under her light touch and his heart beat, which was pounding in his ears already, seemed to only get louder. 

It was only when she gently traced the length of his scar, that he finally chanced a glimpse at her. But the pity or anger or fear he thought he’d see in her eyes wasn’t there, only sadness. 

“Who did this to you?” She asked in a broken whisper, gingerly laying a hand flat against his injured torso. 

“Would it surprise you if I said it was my dad?” 

Alarmed, Betty reared back at once and looked at him, her eyes growing wide with horror. “Your dad did this to you?” 

Jughead almost allowed a grin to spread across his lips when he saw how shocked she was. Then he suddenly remembered she had no idea how things in the Serpents worked, especially under his father. 

_Right._

_Of course she wouldn’t, you dumbass._

“Well not directly,” He told her quietly, “But he um ... he definitely gave the order to make it happen.” 

“The order?” She sounded confused and even more disgusted now, “Wha ... what does that even mean?” 

Jughead let out a despondent sigh. As touched as he was by her concern for him, he stood by the decision he’d made earlier. Now wasn’t the time to explain the inner workings of gang life to her. 

He wanted to talk to her about it one day if she would let him. 

He wanted to tell her about what had happened not even two nights ago when he’d been cornered outside his families trailer and beaten badly, because he’d dared to openly question his father's decision about the drug trade on the Southside. 

Or a year ago when a random bar fight had broken out at the Whyte Worm and someone had deliberately stabbed him with a smashed bottle, because he’d accused his dad of being an alcoholic and hadn’t come home for nearly two days. 

Looking at her now, he could see she wouldn’t judge him. That she would do her best to understand. 

He was learning to expect that from Betty Cooper. Even so, he wouldn’t burden her with the details. Not yet anyway. 

“It means that I stepped out of line and this,” He gestured to the bruises and scar on his torso, “Was my punishment.” 

Betty shook her head and stared off to the side, the usually soft lines of her face turning hard with disgust. When he saw tears rolling down her cheeks again, Jughead felt his throat tighten. 

_She was crying ... for him._

He could count the amount of people who had shown him any kind of genuine sympathy on one hand. 

Knowing he could now add Betty Cooper to that list astounded him beyond words. 

Feeling slightly dazed and partly at fault for making her cry, Jughead visibly swallowed and cast his eyes down to the hand she still had resting on his body before he took it, linking their fingers together. 

“Hey,” He murmured, squeezing gently when she shifted her gaze back on him, “It’s okay. It not as bad as it looks and it doesn’t even hurt that -“ 

“- How bad it looks or whether it hurts or not isn’t really the point, Jug,” Betty interrupted him, “Nothing about what happened to you is okay.” 

He bit the inside of his mouth, his lips twisting sadly. He couldn’t argue with her on that. It wasn’t okay. Nothing they had been through was okay. To try and deny that or make excuses for it would be idiotic. 

He turned her one hand palm side up then and brushed the pad of his thumb over her scars. 

“You’re right,” He agreed with a nod, giving her a soft, knowing smile, “Just like this wasn’t either?” 

“Yeah,” She chuckled weakly, “Seems like we have a lot more in common than we thought.” 

He could tell that it was meant to come off as a joke. As something they could both laugh at and maybe use to stop a wave of awkward silence from washing over them. 

To Jughead though it also felt like an electric bond had been fused between them. 

Normally, controlling his thoughts was easy, but right now around Betty, he suddenly found it infinitely harder to do. 

She was, in a word, beautiful. He’d always thought so, but after tonight and everything it had unveiled about her, he knew it wasn’t just in a superficial way. It went a lot deeper, manifesting itself in many forms. 

He swallowed hard as he stared at her, trying to navigate this new, profound feeling that had been growing steadily inside him from the moment she’d sat down in his booth. 

He shouldn’t be captivated by her. He shouldn’t want to know what her lips tasted like or how soft her skin would feel against his or what it would be like to hear her whisper his name in his ear. 

He shouldn’t be drawn to her and yet ... he was. 

He so badly was. 

“Yeah ... I guess we do.” Jughead murmured softly. 

He watched as something in Betty’s eyes changed, a part of him wondering if she could sense how he felt now and whether or not she felt the same way. 

He held his breath when her expression became unreadable. He was prepared to be rejected. To have her pull away and drag the dreary cloud of back over their heads again. 

Instead her eyes trailed down to his mouth causing the atmosphere between them to shift, pulling them together. The moment intensified with everything they felt, but hadn’t said yet. 

Jughead didn’t even realise he was leaning in until Betty did as well, tilting her head and pressing her lips against his in a soft kiss. 

Momentarily stunned, he froze, feeling as though he’d stumbled right into a dream. One that only became real life when he registered the tips of her fingers lightly skimming over his cheek, sliding under his beanie and into the hair on the back of his head. 

Jughead reacted then, his nerves prickling to life when he acted on instinct and deepened the kiss, his lips gently prying her mouth open as she inched closer to him on the cracked leather seat beneath them. 

With his hand resting on her neck and his thumb brushing against the line of her jaw, he shamelessly made out with her, switching off the part of his brain that kept trying to question what was going on. 

_Who the hell cares, he was making out with Betty Cooper._

This was quite possibly the best thing that had happened to him in years. Unfortunately, like all good things in his life, it ended far too quickly. 

When she pulled back, breathing heavily like him, Jughead took a deep, steadying breath, keeping his eyes closed as he exhaled with a sense of satisfaction and relief. 

He’d kissed girls before, but until now, it had never occurred to him how badly he needed to kiss Betty Cooper. 

When his eyelids fluttered open a beat later, he was scared that she would vanish into dust right in front of him or that he would jolt awake and discover that he was alone and had been the whole time. 

What he ended up seeing though was Betty, still sitting beside him, with her eyes closed and the most beautiful, content smile he’d ever seen carved onto her lips. 

He grinned as well, overwhelmed by the unexpected sensation brought on by what they’d just done. 

“Betty?” 

She looked at him as soon as he said her name, her soft, green irises piercing straight into his light blue ones. 

He was asking her a silent question now. Trying to read the situation and figure out exactly where it was going now. 

_Did she want this?_

Because the clenching feeling he had in his gut, the warmth pooling in his chest and the mad urge he suddenly had to reach down and palm his growing arousal through his jeans, made it clear that he did. 

When her eyes glinted with heat, hinting at something reckless, and she latched onto the lapel of his jacket, tugging his mouth back down to hers, he didn’t have to ask to know what she was thinking. 

Neither of them wanted to stop. 

\- 

After kissing for what felt like an endless amount of time, they broke apart slowly and Betty moved her lips to his ear, whispering that she was going to the bathroom and that he should come and join her in a few minutes. 

Jughead’s throat went dry immediately and he forced himself to swallow, her seductive tone and not-so-subtle smile leaving very little to guess at. 

His heart raced and his dick twitched almost painfully in his pants as he watched her walk off. 

_Jesus ... He’d really, really underestimated her._

Draining the last of his ice cold coffee, relief washed over him when he stood up and saw that the woman from out of town was still fast asleep, that Mr Holloway only had eyes for his newspaper and that there was no sign of Tara anywhere. 

In a way he kinda wished she’d caught a glimpse of him. The last thing he wanted was Pop Tates only granddaughter thinking he’d left without paying. 

He placed more money than he needed down on the table, just to be safe before he sauntered away. 

_This was happening._

_This was actually happening._

He was about to fuck Betty Cooper of all people in a bathroom at Pops. 

He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around the absurd, yet thrilling idea as he practically ran towards the girls toilet. 

Once he was inside and had jammed the door shut with the blade of his pocket knife behind him, he turned to find Betty leaning against the sinks, waiting. 

Her blonde hair was free from it’s usual tight ponytail, the soft curls framing her beautiful face now. He stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes trailing over every inch of her from head to toe, mesmerised by how sexy she looked. 

Despite what people might think he’d never agreed to do anything like this before, but then again, he never thought someone like Betty Cooper would make the offer in the first place. 

At this point though, with warm blood pumping through his veins, he was beyond thinking. Beyond trying to reason. He had no idea what he was doing anymore, but he had no intention of stopping either. His senses completely overtaken by her. 

When Betty cast her eyes towards him, his skin tingled when he saw nothing but desire in them. 

“Are you just going to stand there and stare?” She asked with an inviting grin. 

He smirked and stepped towards her. 

It wasn’t long until he had her up against the tiled wall in the stall furthest from the door. His body pressing right into hers as he captured her mouth in a deep kiss, his tongue slipping past the seam of her lips effortlessly. 

Betty moaned into it and started rolling her hips, purposefully brushing them against the bulge, still painfully restrained by his jeans. Jughead hissed and then he growled, loving the delicious friction she was creating now. 

He knew they didn’t have much time. 

That they would have to be quick. 

Her mouth swallowed his in a drugging kind of kiss when she seemingly read his mind and immediately reached for his belt buckle, his jeans clinking as they hit the floor. 

“Christ ... Betty.” He muttered, his breath hitching in his throat when her hand came down and stroked him, her fingers squeezing lightly while the pad of her thumb swirled around the tip of his cock. 

Groaning into her neck, he took control then and dipped his hands under her skirt, relishing in the way her body shivered against his as he dragged his fingers up the length of her thighs and hooked his thumbs into her underwear, pulling them down her legs roughly. 

There was a condom in his wallet. 

He had tucked it in there a month ago for no other reason than to hide it from the prying eyes of his father. Pulling it out now, Jughead was worried she might think he did this kind of thing often - which of course he didn’t. Instead she snatched it from his fingers and ripped it open without a second thought. 

She rolled it onto him with nimble fingers, her one leg hiking over his hip when the hand that he already had gripping the underside of her thigh guided it there. 

“God you’re so fucking wet,” Jughead groaned into her hair, pressing his fingers to her core, “Is that all for me?” 

Betty nodded mutely, her jaw going slack when he spread her slickness over her clit. 

Jughead pulled his hand back up then, making sure she could clearly see him as he sucked his digits clean. 

“And you want this?” He asked her heatedly, moving against her slowly, dragging his cock through her silky folds. 

“Y-yes,” Betty breathed, arching her chest towards him, “I .. I do. I want it.” 

Jughead smiled crookedly and leaned in, brushing his lips over the soft, sensitive skin beneath her ear. That was all he needed to hear. He pinned his hips against hers as he threaded their free hands together, holding them above her head. 

They both gasped loudly then, hot air spilling from Betty’s mouth, fanning against his cheek when he aligned himself and thrusted into her, deep and right down to the hilt. 

She begged him not to be slow. Which was a good thing because he didn’t want to be. She felt so incredibly tight and warm and utterly amazing wrapped around him that with every hard roll of his hips Jughead was sure he’d lose control and finish way before her. 

The sensation of fucking in a bathroom stall with a very real chance of being caught by someone at any moment was ... intoxicating. Thickening the air with danger and excitement. 

Beads of sweat pebbled on their skin as an intense heat surrounded them, radiating off their bodies under the confines of the clothes they still had on. Betty ran her hand through his strands of hair, knocking his beanie to the ground as she pulled him close and he sealed his mouth over hers, their tongues curling. Twisting. Tasting. 

Leaning back, Jughead watched as she closed her eyes in pleasure and strained against him, a loud thud echoing around the bathroom when her head fell back against the wall. She tightened the arm she had draped around his neck, barely biting back another moan when he surged forward again, using the opportunity to trail a path of kisses up and along the expanse of her neck. 

“I - I’m really close.” Betty warned in between heavy breaths, her nails scraping against his skull as he latched onto her raging pulse point, soothing the mark he’d left with his tongue. 

“Shit,” Jughead breathed out harshly, feeling his muscles suddenly tense, “Fuck ... me too.” 

He moved his hand upwards and squeezed the curve of her ass as he continued to rock his hips into hers, his pace turning choppy as he rushed to catch up with her. When her walls started to flutter around him though he felt his remaining resolve fade, his teeth sinking into the course material of her sweater. 

She fell apart before he did with her face pressed into his side of his neck, silencing her cries of pleasure against his damp skin. The way she clenched and pulled on him, choking out his name a second later, was enough to tip him over the edge as well. 

He spilt inside the condom, his fingers sinking hard into her thigh as he gasped her name softly against the shell of her ear. 

They stayed like that, locked together in the post bliss of their torrid, passionate embrace as they came down slowly. Sated and completely spent. 

Jughead released Betty’s hand then, letting it fall weakly over his shoulder. 

He thought about saying something. Like commenting on how incredible that was or maybe asking her if she was okay, but the feel of her lips gently grazing over his skin made him stay silent instead. 

_Why would he want to ruin such an amazing moment with words anyway?_

When she went from simply leaning on him to actually hugging him, he stilled, swallowing when she turned her head to the side and nuzzled it into his shoulder. 

He wasn’t much of a hugger. He liked his personal space, but he liked this even more. He liked how it made him feel. Like he’d actually done something to help her in some small way. 

With a soft sigh, he slipped an arm around her waist and gently nestled his head against hers. Right now he would hold her for as long as she wanted. 

~ 

They straightened themselves out in silence, exchanging a few shy smiles and looks when Jughead flushed the condom down the toilet and handed Betty’s underwear back to her. They left the bathroom separately, careful to avoid any suspicion. 

He was still thinking about the light blush that had appeared on Betty’s cheeks when he’d unjammed the door and she’d seen his knife, when he cast his eyes around the diner, noticing a slight change. 

Mr Holloway had left. Not too surprising given the lateness of the hour. 

He watched from a suitable distance as Betty said goodnight to Tara and asked if she needed to pay for the coffee - which he already knew she didn’t. 

He was about to follow her out into the parking lot, when a hand suddenly grabbed his arm, stopping him before he could leave. 

“Forget something?” Tara asked. 

Jughead looked down at her hands, a smile curling on his lips when he saw what she was holding. 

His book. 

_Of course._

In between his make out session with Betty and their little bathroom tryst he’d forgotten about it entirely. 

“Oh um, yeah ... thanks a lot Tara,” He took it from her, ignoring the odd, yet slightly knowing look she gave him, “Have a good night.” 

Feeling his cheeks start to burn, Jughead turned away from her at once, somehow resisting the overwhelming desire he had to sprint out the door. 

When he made it outside, he exhaled with relief when he saw Betty standing near her car, looking at something on her phone. 

_Was she waiting for him?_

He gave his head a shake, telling himself it wasn’t important. 

She looked up though, a soft grin playing on her lips, when he jogged over to her. 

“Hey” 

“Hi” 

They both stood there, the brief silence making them feel a little uneasy until Jughead cleared his throat. 

“So you’re gonna be okay tonight?” He asked, “No offense, but after what I saw earlier ... I really don’t like the idea of you going back to your house right now.” 

“Yeah, I don’t either,” Betty agreed, sadness flashing in her eyes as she wiped her palms on her skirt, “That’s why I’m staying with a friend for a couple of days. I’ve already called her and arranged everything.” 

Jughead nodded and relaxed a little, happy she would be away from her dragon of a mother for now. 

He noticed that she was looking at him expectantly then, almost as if she could tell he wanted to say something else. 

“I uh ... um ...,” He stuttered around the words, overthinking what he wanted to say next until he realised, after what they’d just done, how silly that was. He took a breath, sucking up some courage, “I just wanted to say that you don’t have to worry either. I swear I won’t tell anyone about what you said or ... what happened here tonight.” 

“Oh,” She looked understandably bashful now, her cheeks turning a bright shade of crimson, “Thanks Jug, I really appreciate that.” 

“Also I wanted to give you this. I meant what I said. I really think you’ll enjoy it.” He held the book out to her, his chest tightening when she giggled quietly and took it from him without a fuss. 

“Thanks, Juggie. I’m sure I will.” 

Jughead smiled in response, the new nickname making his stomach flip. He raised his hand then, rubbing the back of his neck a little awkwardly. 

“And I was thinking maybe we could get together again and well ... you know, discuss it when you’re done?” 

Once again, he braced himself to hear words declining his offer. What she gave him instead was the widest smile he’d ever seen. 

“I’d really like that.” Betty said. 

“You would?” Jughead grinned broadly as well when she nodded, excitement stirring inside him, “Alright, so I guess I’ll see you around then?” 

“Yeah,” She murmured, clutching the book to her chest, “You definitely will.”   
  


Giving her one last smile, he turned to leave. 

“Also,” He’d barely taken two steps towards his motorbike when her warm, soft hand slipped into his, holding him back. “I wanted you to know that I meant what I said before as well. Thank you for listening and for ... everything else you did tonight.”

Her eyes were swimming with unspoken gratitude when he looked at her again. It made him feel warm and wanted, especially when she leaned up, standing on the tips of her toes so she could press a kiss to his lips. 

She lingered there for a moment or two, their foreheads barely touching. 

“Any time.” Jughead murmured, a part of him literally dying to lean in and kiss the breath right out of her. 

Before he could though, Betty gave his hand a squeeze and then she was gone. Leaving him with nothing else to do, but watch as she hopped in her car and drove off. 

~ 

The dark sky above was on the cusp of being slowly washed out with light from a new day by the time Jughead arrived at his family's trailer. 

He’d made it a good distance across the Southside without any incidents, his body only realising how exhausted it was as he climbed the steps and quietly opened the front door. 

It was only after he’d snuck past his father, who had fallen asleep on the sofa again, still clutching an empty beer bottle in his hand, and had slipped inside the small sanctuary of his bedroom that Jughead allowed his nerves to truly calm down. 

He tugged off his leather jacket followed by his t-shirt and his beanie, throwing all three rather haphazardly onto his desk chair. 

When his bruises pinched a little, he winced and placed his hand over where it hurt, recalling that not even an hour ago Betty Cooper’s delicate hand had been there instead, doing a much better job of soothing him than he was right now. 

Uttering out a sigh, Jughead toed off his boots next and pulled off his jeans, memories of their astonishing night together playing over in his head as he settled down on his bed in nothing but some boxers. 

He had no idea of what to expect next or what would happen in the future. Whether things would change or if this night was a total once off. Never to be repeated again. 

What he did know was if this turned out to be a dream, he’d be happy if he never woke up again. 


	2. Blue And Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy the next chapter of The Sun and The Moon. There will be plenty of sexy and Sleuthing Bughead ahead. ;)

Betty Cooper didn’t get stuck in her own head. 

That wasn’t her. 

Normally, the way she processed things was quick. Efficient. She would think about it, for a few hours or a day or two, then put it out of her mind.

What had happened on Friday night though had left her nothing short of engrossed, her thoughts completely consumed. 

In fact, it was almost borderline obsessive how much she’d been thinking about Jughead Jones lately. 

Every time she closed her eyes she was back in that booth with him. Back in the moment when he’d seen her cuts and blemishes and kissed her fingers without judgement. Or when he had let her in, showing her the bruises that littered his body and that scar. That awful, jagged scar, permanently marred into his skin. 

Other times she was in the bathroom stall all over again, her breath heavy and hitching in her throat. Her skin damp with sweat. Flushed and overheated. Shivering with pleasure as he kissed and mouthed her neck, fucking her hard against the cold tiles. 

Her cheeks warmed at the thought, a wide smile threatening to spill over her lips. 

It had been two days. A whole 48 hours since their late night rendezvous and Betty still felt as overwhelmed as she had then. 

It was by far the most reckless thing she’d ever done in her entire life and she loved it. All of it. From the confidence to the thrill it gave her and knowing she had done it with Jughead made it even better. 

She had gone to Pops that night to seek refuge. It had been her safe place for years. Somewhere she could go to get away from her mom and any of the other complications in her life. Bumping into him wasn’t something she had planned or foreseen. Neither was his offer to buy her a cup of coffee, but after some brief hesitation on her part, she had welcomed it gladly.. 

Normally she was weary around strangers. Keeping herself friendly and pleasant enough to talk on the surface, but distant underneath, something which usually made her very difficult to gauge or read. 

Not with Jughead though. 

Despite the slightly awkward start between them, their connection ended up being strong and practically effortless. To the point where she felt like he truly understood her. 

Unlike most of the people she knew who only saw what they wanted to see, he actually saw her. As if she were made of glass. Clear and transparent in his eyes. 

Looking back on it now, it seemed insane, but at the same time, she couldn’t deny the way her nerve endings tingled with excitement. 

If anyone in this town was going to comprehend her so deftly, she was really glad it was someone like Jughead Jones. 

“Uh earth to, B?” 

A hand waving in front of her face caught Betty by surprise. She blinked and stumbled out of her thoughts at once, remembering that it was Monday morning and that she was currently walking to school with her two best friends; Veronica Lodge and Kevin Keller. 

Both of whom were staring at her now with amusement glinting in their eyes. 

“You doing alright over there?” Kevin asked with a chuckle. 

“Yeah,” Betty cleared her throat with a cough, composing herself remarkably quickly, “Yes, I-I’m fine ... All good.” 

“Well that was about as convincing as a cheap Louis Vuitton knock-off,” Veronica joked, smirking as she looped her arm with Betty’s, “Come on, B tell us what’s up. You’ve been acting weird all weekend. ” 

“No I haven’t. How have I been acting weird?” 

Her two friends exchanged looks. 

“Well for one, I expected you to be pretty upset after what happened with your mom on Friday, but you’ve been ... smiling a lot instead.” 

“Yeah,” Kevin agreed, shifting his mischievous gaze between both girls, “She has been, hasn’t she?” 

Betty rolled her eyes good naturedly, giving her head a shake. “Oh so it’s a crime to smile now?” 

“Well when you keep us in the dark about why you are, then yes it is!” Veronica complained, her tone clearly indicating how desperate she was to know more. 

“I’m with Ronnie on this one,” Kevin said, causally draping an arm over Betty’s shoulders, “We’re your best friends, B. So quit holding out on us and spill already!” 

They were both messing with her. She knew they were. After years of friendship she was used to it, well aware of their antics, that they were harmless and that, if she really didn’t want to share, they wouldn’t force her to. 

Still it made her think. 

Maybe she should mention the pair of stormy blue eyes that haunted her dreams now and belonged to a guy who had mercilessly blindsided her only two days ago. 

Maybe they deserved to know the truth ... or part of it anyway. 

When they both looked at her like puppies begging shamelessly for more attention, Betty giggled and sighed with defeat. The decision was already made for her. 

“Okay fine, something ... else might’ve happened on Friday night.” 

“Yes, I knew it ... I just knew it!” Veronica sang gleefully beside her at once, while Kevin simply gave her a look that said ‘Well no, shit.’ 

“Duh,” He teased playfully, “Care to elaborate on exactly what that something was though?” 

Betty hesitated briefly, sucking in a calming breath before she continued. 

“So you know how I said I went to Pops after that fight with my mom?” 

They both nodded eagerly, waiting with baited breath for her to continue. 

“Well I met a guy while I was there and he offered to buy me a cup of coffee. We talked for a while and then one thing led to another and we -“ Betty trailed off, dipping her head when she felt her cheeks warm, feebly trying to hide it. 

“You what?” Kevin pressed. 

“We ... uh well ...” 

“B!!!” Veronica and Kevin yelled when she started biting her lip, still hesitating. 

“We um ... we might’ve hooked up in one of the bathroom stalls.” 

All three of them came to an abrupt stop. Kevin with his eyebrows raised so far up his forehead they almost disappeared into his hairline. Veronica with her mouth agape, her jaw hanging so low it was practically on the floor and Betty with her face burning, her skin a deep, beetroot red. 

“Wait -“ A stunned Kevin began. 

“- YOU WHAT?” An overly enthusiastic Veronica shouted, finishing the sentence for him. 

“Geez V, could you please keep your voice down!” Betty murmured sheepishly, pushing her way past her two friends, who were still rooted to the sidewalk, when she noticed Mrs Campbell nearby, staring at them. 

“Well I’m terribly sorry B,” Veronica said, not sounding the least bit ‘sorry’ as she walked a little faster, trying to catch up with her, “But did you really expect me to react any other way?” 

“I guess not, but you could still try to be a little more subtle.” 

“Subtle?” Kevin repeated, suddenly appearing at her side again, “Please enlighten me, when have Ronnie and I ever been subtle, B?” 

All three of them laughed at that and Betty let a small smile twitch on her lips. Even she had to admit he was right. Subtly wasn’t exactly Veronica and Kevin’s style, so really, both of her friend’s reactions were pretty on point. 

“So?” Veronica grinned expectantly. 

“So what?” 

“So are you going to tell us who you had hot, dirty sex with in the bathroom?” Kevin asked, giving his eyebrows a wiggle. 

With the corners of her mouth still curled upwards, Betty inclined her head, trying not to roll her eyes again. She knew it was only a matter of time until they would ask her that question. Of course they would want to know about Jughead. Having sex in a bathroom stall with someone who was basically a stranger to her wasn’t something she did. So naturally it would pique their interest. 

Besides, it’s not like she was going to sate their curiosity that easily anyway. 

“Haven’t you two ever heard the expression ‘don’t kiss and tell’?” 

“Come on don’t tease us, B. Don’t make us beg!!” Veronica pleaded, latching her hands onto her friend’s forearm. 

“And what exactly are you doing right now?” Betty chuckled when both of her friends let out loud, impatient groans. 

“You could at least tell us if we know him.” 

Nodding her head, she considered Kevin’s words. The more she thought about it now the more she realised there probably wouldn’t be any harm in telling them that. They literally knew an entire town full of people. Revealing that they knew Jughead wouldn’t really give anything away. 

It could be anyone. 

“You do.” 

“So he lives here then.” Kevin and Veronica grinned together, the gears in their brains already turning as they started thinking. Plotting. 

“You know what we should do Kev, we should try and guess who it is.” 

Betty gave her shoulders a shrug, fighting back a smirk while successfully ignoring the one on Veronica’s lips. “Go for it.” 

Again, she knew that the chances of them figuring out the truth were pretty slim and even if they did - she wouldn’t tell them if they were right. 

It had nothing to do with a lack of trust or with her being ashamed or worried about what her friends might think if they learnt that Jughead Jones, Prince of The Southside Serpents, had fucked her in a bathroom. 

No. It was more of a small act of selfishness. 

That night was still a total mystery to her. She didn’t fully understand what it meant just yet or what it could possibly lead to. What she did know was that what had happened in that booth. In that bathroom stall were her memories and hers alone. 

For now, those details would remain her little secret. 

They kept walking, Betty keeping herself preoccupied with more thoughts of Jughead while her two friends whispered amongst themselves. Debating who this mystery man was. 

“Was it Reggie?” Kevin asked suddenly. 

Betty shook her head. Oh no. Reggie Mantle definitely wasn’t her type. Sure he was nice to look at, but like an old muscle car there wasn’t much going on under the hood. 

“Trev?” Veronica asked next. 

She smiled slightly. It wasn’t a bad guess actually especially since she’d had a crush on Trevor Brown back in middle school and they’d dated for a short time during their freshman year. 

“Not a bad choice,” Betty admitted, “But I seriously doubt bathroom sex is Trev’s style.” 

“Bet it’s that hot, young mechanic’s style though,” Kevin grinned crookedly, confident in his new suggestion, “You know, the one who just moved to town a month ago?” 

Betty found it really hard to disagree with him on that. Riverdale Auto Repairs newest employee Johnny Moran was insanely good looking. What neither of her friends knew though was that he had a long term girlfriend studying in New York City and that he went to visit her almost every weekend. 

Suffice to say, their eyebrows knitted together when she grinned widely, but shook her head from side to side. A part of her secretly enjoying their little guessing game. 

“Just please tell me it wasn’t that oafish orangutan, Archie Andrews.” 

Betty’s face immediately twisted with hatred and disgust. “Ewww Kev, don’t be gross! Self absorbed jock isn’t my type and besides after what he did to Ronnie last year, the only thing that asshole will ever get from me if he’s lucky is a glare.” 

“The only thing he gets from me is a middle finger.” Veronica chimed in, scowling herself. 

“Right. He got an elbow in the nose from me during a wrestling match on behalf of the anti-Archie-Andrews club,” Kevin smiled proudly before turning to look at Betty, a touch of guilt in his hazel brown eyes, “So yeah okay ... I’m really sorry I even let that thought cross my mind.” 

She gave him a genuine smile and rubbed his arm, instantly accepting his apology. 

She knew he didn’t mean anything by it. After all, the three of them were in the same boat together. Archie Andrews was definitely on their shit-list. 

As they walked into the school parking lot, Betty’s eyes drifted around the busy space, ignoring everyone else while she looked to see if a certain motorcycle was parked in its usual spot in the corner farthest from the front steps. 

It wasn’t. 

Her throat tightened a little. 

He wasn’t here yet. 

When Veronica and Kevin burst out laughing at something she hadn’t heard, she had to quickly remind herself not look too disappointed. 

Before today she’d never paid much attention to what time he usually arrived at school. He was either there or he wasn’t. Nothing more than a glimpse in the hallway or classroom. Now she made a mental note for the future. There was still a good twenty minutes left until class actually started and besides, Jughead didn’t strike her as the type to arrive early anyway. 

What would happen when he got here? Betty couldn’t say. 

Would he simply ignore her if they saw each other or purposefully avoid her so their paths wouldn’t cross at all, acting as if Friday night hadn’t happened? 

Or would he boldly kiss her in front of the whole school or sneak a note into her locker begging her to meet him somewhere quiet where they could talk? 

She entertained the idea in the back of her mind while people she hardly knew and had hardly seen over the summer said hello and gushed about how they were starting their senior year of high school today. 

A part of her stayed distracted though, only thinking about him even after the bell rang and she made her way to her first class. 

Worry crept it’s way inside her when she noticed that he wasn’t there either, but she quickly pushed the feeling aside. 

It was only during AP English, her second class of the day, that she finally caught sight of him. 

Her first thought was that he looked worn out and a little uneasy, his arm rigid and guarding the ribs on the one side of his body. The side he’d shown her, but when his blue eyes landed on her and a broad grin spread across his lips, her frown disappeared and her heart fluttered, electrified with warmth. Melting away her concerns. 

At least he wasn’t avoiding her or acting like she didn’t exist. Betty shifted in her seat, smiling to herself. 

It was a start. 

The lesson passed in a bit of a blur. Normally she loved English. It was her favourite subject. Her best subject, but she couldn’t bring herself to care about Romeo and Juliet when she could literally feel Jughead’s gaze burning into her back. 

She planned on waiting for him after class and dragging him off to an empty room where they could be alone for a minute or two, but just as the right moment appeared Veronica swooped in and grabbed Betty first. Pulling her off to the girls bathroom, already complaining about how much she hated being back at school. 

She’d caught Jughead’s eye briefly when she’d glanced back at him, a hint of disappointment flashing over his features. 

Just stay there okay ... we need to talk. 

She wanted to say that out loud, hoping the pleading look she gave him instead would be enough until she came back. 

However, when her and Veronica stepped out into the hallway again a little more than five minutes later, Betty felt herself deflate. 

He was nowhere to be seen. 

~

Needing some time to herself after a long and frankly boring morning, Betty spent lunch  alone in The Blue and Gold office, rearranging the desks and some of the files, getting everything ready for another year. 

Forcing out a heavy breath, she looked around the familiar room, already regretting all the time she was going to waste here. 

Since her freshman year at Riverdale High, she’d poured so much effort into this paper. Hours, days, weeks and years. People would assume she had done it out of passion, but really it was an experiment. Her way of seeing if she could find a way to love it. 

Her mother ran The Blue and Gold while she was in high school, so naturally Betty would have to follow in her prestigious, over-expectant footsteps. 

She felt no particular attachment to anything she’d done through this paper over the last three years though, only a mild sense of achievement, because somehow she’d managed to do it. 

If she really wanted to, she knew she could march into Principal Weatherbee’s office right now and tell him she wasn’t going to do it. Put herself through it again for another year, but for some reason she also felt compelled to stay. To finish what she’d started. 

What was another year anyway? 

And at least it would keep her mother off her case if she kept going. 

Gathering up some old drafts of the last edition they’d printed before summer break, Betty slipped them all into a file and stuck it away inside a nearby cabinet. She turned back to face the office, smiling a little as she took in the tables, all clean and neat now. 

There were still a fair amount of things that needed to be done. Weekly topics needed to be decided and planned and with Ethel and her family having moved to Colorado almost a month ago now, she needed to find a new photographer as well. 

With just under twenty minutes left until her next class started, she reminded herself that she had plenty of time to get things in order. It was only her first day back after all. 

Taking a seat at what was unofficially called the “editors desk”, Betty pulled out the apple and sandwich she’d packed for herself, ready to finally relax and get something in her stomach when a series of loud knocks rang through the room. 

She narrowed her eyes immediately and looked at the closed office door. 

She’d specifically told Kevin and Veronica that she wanted to be by herself for a bit. 

After her failed attempt at trying to talk to Jughead this morning and the fact that neither of them had stopped trying to guess who the mystery man from Pops was in between their classes, she found it hard not to think about him. 

It seemed that talking or interacting on any level wouldn’t be on the cards for them today. 

Betty sighed dejectedly, feeling her shoulders slump as she called out, telling whoever was standing outside to come in. 

She heard the door click open, expecting to see one or maybe both of her best friends standing there, sheepishly coming to check on her. Not Jughead with his lips skewed into a smirk. His blue eyes bright and fixed on her. 

She froze, her heart leaping into her throat so fast she could barely take a proper breath. 

Holy shit ... it was him. 

She could scarcely believe what she was seeing until he moved, turning slightly to close the door behind him. When he faced her again she swallowed, wetting her dry throat. 

“Hey.” He said, slowly lowering the messenger bag hanging on his shoulder to floor. 

“H-hi.” 

Still wearing a smile, Jughead stepped further into the room and looked around, taking in his new surroundings. Betty used the opportunity to watch him. Dragging her eyes over every inch of his figure. 

Clad in his worn leather jacket, dark jeans, black t-shirt and combat boots he somehow looked even more attractive than he had on Friday night. More so when he pulled off the grey beanie he had perched on his head, freeing his inky curls. 

It looked so soft. She suddenly remembered how incredible his hair had felt sliding between her fingers. How he had groaned headily into her neck when she had tugged on it, scraping her nails over his skull. 

Her stomach clenched. She really wanted to touch it again. 

“So this is the infamous Blue and Gold office?” 

Betty pinched her eyebrows together, frowning slightly. The way he had said it, with genuine curiosity, made it sound like he’d never seen it before, until she realised he probably hadn’t. 

“Um ... yeah it is,” Despite her best efforts to be subtle, a shy smile quickly spread across her lips, “W-why are you here?” 

Jughead gave his shoulder a shrug. “I heard you guys were looking for a new photographer so I thought I’d stop by and check it out,” He paused then, turning his intense gaze on her again, “And I was also hoping I’d get to see you.” 

Oh! 

His words made Betty’s pulse spike. All of her thoughts from this morning, from the last couple of days seemed to crash together into one big jumble. 

Was there more behind this? 

Was he here so he could be near her, so he could get to know her better ... or was he just here because being the photographer for the school newspaper would look good on his college applications? 

Feeling dazed, she moved, standing up far too quickly and bumped the stack of papers on the desk, scattering them to the floor. 

As if on autopilot she avoided looking at him and immediately bent down to start picking them up, her hand only stilling when Jughead crouched down as well, his fingers brushing against hers lightly when he reached out to help her. 

Betty held her breath, slowly drawing her eyes up to his, her throat constricting when she realized how close he was now. 

“Do you need to interview me first?” He asked, with a low, seductively teasing lint to his voice. 

A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth and for a second, memories from Friday night waltz into her brain for the millionth time along with the crackle of their connection, that pull between them. It made her head spin and her breathing shallow. Looking at him, she still had no idea what it had meant ... If it would mean anything at all. 

“Oh um ... well,” Betty collected herself and piled the papers together quickly, getting to her feet, “D-do you have a camera?” 

She glanced up just in time to see Jughead stand as well and nod. 

“Do you know how to use it?” 

His quiet chuckle made her insides twist and swirl, “Wouldn’t have offered my services if I didn’t.” 

“Then that’s all I need to know.” 

“Really?” 

Unconvinced, Jughead tilted his head to the side, taking a step towards her when she took a step back, both of them moving until Betty couldn’t anymore, her body wedged between the wall and his tall frame. 

His hands found her hips then, squeezing and bringing her in. 

“So you don’t need to see my portfolio?” He asked, leaning in, the tone of his voice warm and husky against her skin, “Or check that I have the right equipment?” Betty closed her eyes, letting a soft gasp escape when his one hand trailed down south and the tips of his fingers moved to her inner thigh, tracing and touching her, “Or maybe do a trail run to see what it would be like to work with me?” 

She pressed back into the wall behind her when he started rubbing slow, yet tight circles against her core, pressing his thumb there, the delicious friction caused by the rough material of her jeans moving against her sensitive flesh making her arch towards him. Betty shuddered and angled her head up, barely suppressing a loud moan. 

“Only if you want to?” She choked out, fully aware that they weren’t really talking about photography anymore. 

Jughead’s lips stretched into a wicked smirk against her neck. “Oh I want to, believe me I do.” He pressed his chest into hers, his mouth only a breath away now, “Can’t you tell?” 

Yes. 

Yes she could. 

Breathing him in and drowning herself in his scent like she had that night, she slid her hand around the back of his neck and brought his lips down to hers, closing the few inches that still remained, when another loud and sudden knock interrupted them. 

In a matter of seconds he was gone. His warmth. His smell. The weight of his body. His lips gently ghosting over hers. All of it gone. Betty would’ve thought she had imagined the whole encounter if her eyes hadn’t fluttered open to the sight of him standing less than a few feet away, breathing harshly. Traces of desire still burning in his blue irises. 

She felt like telling whoever had disturbed them to go away and come back later, but when a sophomore named; Claire Benson walked in holding a box of mail - the same box she’d been delivering to the Blue and Gold almost every week for the past two years - looking decidedly more apprehensive than usual, Betty bit back the words. 

“Claire,” She tugged at the hem of her light blue collared shirt and straightened herself up a little, offering the shy girl a smile, “Hey uh ... what’s up?” 

Claire looked between her and Jughead (who currently had his back to both of them) for a second before fixing her eyes permanently in his direction, distracted and clearly surprised by his presence. 

She almost looked afraid of him, especially when she saw the ferocious two headed, ‘S’ shaped snake sewn into his jacket, and it only occurred to Betty then that because he was a member of the Serpents and came from the Southside, everyone pretty much saw him that way. As someone to be nervous and cautious around. 

Everyone except her. 

When the young girl stayed silent though and continued to stare at him like he was made out of cheese, Betty cleared her throat. 

“Claire?” What the heck are you doing here? “You alright ... Are those for me?” 

“Oh um ... y-yes they are,” Remembering where she was and why she was there, Claire blushed with embarrassment and set the box down on the desk, “Sorry Betty.” 

Casting one more anxious glance at Jughead, the sophomore ducked her head and quickly slipped out of the room without saying another word. 

Odd. 

Betty wondered if people always reacted like that around him and, more importantly, if he knew that they did. She certainly would find it hard not to notice. Especially if they treated her like some common thug who would lash out and attack them without any reason. It was already hard to ignore the way everyone looked at her sometimes. She had no idea how he handled the scrutiny. 

When he faced her again, Jughead didn’t look annoyed or angry though, just sheepish. A little red around the ears. 

“Well that was pretty close.” He chuckled. 

She giggled as well and nodded weakly, not missing the clear amount of space he kept between them as he approached the editors desk again. Clearly he wasn’t about to finish what they’d started only moments ago which meant he probably didn’t want to talk about it either. Her eyes lowered to the floor, trying to fend off her impending disappointment. 

“Yeah, I guess it was.” 

When her response was met with silence and an intense, but thoughtful gaze, Betty sighed and pulled the box of mail towards her, suddenly needing a distraction. 

They would have to talk about this sooner or later. To be honest, now that the conversation was looming over their heads the thought of confronting it scared her a little. 

What if they both wanted different things? 

What if her silent fears became real? 

Casting her eyes up at him briefly, she wondered maybe if the same things scared him as well. 

After aimlessly sorting through some of the letters, Betty tore one open and pretended to read it, trying to ignore Jughead who still hadn’t stopped staring at her. 

She was on the verge of giving in and demanding that they talk about Friday night and what had happened not even five minutes ago when he dug around inside the box as well, pulling out a large, thick envelope with something solid inside it. 

Betty watched as he turned it over in his hands a few times before she looked directly at him, both of them sharing the same confused, but curious expression. 

“Does it say who it’s from?” She asked. Jughead shook his head, his eyebrows pulling together. 

It was weird. As a rule any mail that was sent to The Blue and Gold had to have the senders contact details attached to it. Specifically their name and then either their cellphone number or email address. This was the first time she had ever received an unmarked letter and she was nothing if not intrigued by it. Her need to discuss her thoughts with Jughead, forgotten for now. 

“Maybe there’s something inside that’ll tell us who sent it?” 

“Yeah maybe.” He agreed, positioning his fingers accordingly and ripping it open without hesitation to satisfy both of their combined curiosity. 

She wasn’t sure what they expected to find inside, but when he reached in and produced a VHS tape, her already present frown only deepened. 

Jughead on the other hand grinned broadly. 

“What do you thinks on it?” He asked, a tinge of excitement in his voice. Betty took the tape from him when he held it out to her, staring down at it. Fascinated as well. There were no words on it, just a small, mysterious black ‘X’ written on the white strip of paper where the title of the movie would normally go. 

“I have no idea.” She mumbled, looking up and meeting his eyes with a smile. 

Before she could think or suggest they do anything else though a loud shrill ring pierced their ears and the hallways outside suddenly bustled with students heading to class. 

Betty’s lips twisted into a grimace. Lunch was over which meant their time alone was as well. 

She turned away from Jughead quickly, trying to hide her dismay as she methodically slipped the tape back inside the box and picked it up, setting it down on the floor. She grabbed her school bag next, ignoring the way her stomach growled in protest when she packed away the sandwich and apple she still hadn’t eaten. 

“Betty?” 

She stilled. She could feel his eyes lingering on her. The hesitancy in his voice wasn’t hard to miss either, whatever he wanted to say or ask her hanging in the air between them. 

He didn’t need to say anything now. Her biggest fear had been that he wouldn’t want to talk at all, but it was clear he did. That’s all she needed to know. 

Sucking in a breath she turned to face him. 

“So I’m thinking you can start your trial run today after school.” 

“My trail run?” Jughead repeated, a crooked grin slowly spreading over his mouth as he shrugged the strap of his messenger bag onto his shoulder, “Got me working after hours already, Cooper? 

Betty felt her cheeks warm, the new nickname making her blush. It sounded so natural rolling off his tongue, almost as if he’d been calling her that for years. She smiled, a little more shyly than she intended to, and ducked her head, hoping it wasn’t too noticeable. 

“You wanted it, you got it.” 

A chuckle escaped his lips, the ends of his black hair peeking out from under the beanie he’d put back on his head falling into his eyes. “So it seems.” 

In hindsight, she knew that a trial run was completely ridiculous and unnecessary, but she found herself grasping at opportunities to be alone with him again, simply because she wanted to be. 

“Well,” Jughead heaved out as he sauntered over to the door, casually leaning against the frame, “I guess that means I’ll see you later then?” 

“Yeah,” Betty said softly, holding his stare, “I guess you will.” 

The wink he gave her made her heart stutter and slow and then he was gone. 

~

The Blue and Gold had a VHS player. 

Albeit an old one that Betty had to dig out of the storeroom and dust off thoroughly before she could even think about attempting to set it up. 

Still she’d rather be neck deep in a mess of untangled wires then forcing herself to pay attention in class for another hour. 

Unlike Kevin and Veronica, she didn’t hate school. Normally she didn’t mind being there, but even she felt like this day had dragged on, to the point where she’d almost considered skipping her last two lessons. 

Being around Jughead hadn’t helped one bit. 

If getting him out of her head hadn’t been hard enough already, she found it nearly impossible now after their encounter earlier. 

Whenever she’d caught a glimpse of him out the corner of her eye, she’d rubbed her thighs together and her mind had raced a mile a minute. Everything from their night together at Pops to his “interview” to the discovery of the tape had been permanently etched into her brain. 

Not that she was necessarily complaining about that. 

Of the few boys Betty had liked since she was thirteen and the couple she’d actually dated over the years, she’d never been attracted to someone as much as she was attracted to Jughead. 

On the surface he was undeniably good looking.. His broody, mild mannered, but mysterious and slightly dangerous presence, captivating in many ways. 

But underneath there was more to him. A softness. A capacity to listen, to empathise and to try and understand. Peeling back the layers she’d discovered that he wasn’t a cold hearted thug or a piece of Southside trash like most Northsiders like to believe. He was smart. Funny. Sweet even. 

Like her, he was misunderstood. 

Betty smiled and bit her lip at the thought. 

It was a strange, new feeling for her, to be excited by someone both physically and mentally. It was also significant and slowly, but surely she could feel herself getting used to it. 

After ten minutes of scowling with frustration and struggling with the wires, Betty finally managed to hook the player up to an old analogue tv that had been sitting in a forgotten corner of the office for years. 

Straightening up, she wiped the back of her hand over her brow and switched both of the machines on, grinning broadly when the TVtv screen lit up and they worked. 

“Thank god.” She murmured, giggling with relief. 

Dusting off her hands on her jeans, Betty checked the clock on the wall. Classes had ended for the day almost half an hour ago now and there was still no sign of him. 

While making her way to the Blue and Gold, she had spotted him out in the hallway briefly, leaning against his locker, talking to his friends and fellow Serpents; Sweet Pea and Toni. 

Beyond that nothing. 

When her heart squeezed in her chest and she started to feel like he might let her down, Betty shook her head and picked up her sandwich, taking a large bite out of it. 

He’ll come ... he said he would. 

The glint he’d had his eyes before he’d left earlier made her sure of that. 

Lips twisting, she shoved the rest of the sandwich in her mouth with a little more force than she probably needed to use and chewed, annoyed until she heard the door creek open behind her. 

“So Cooper, you ready to find out what’s on that tape?” 

Betty stiffened as soon as his voice reached her ears, the half-chewed up ball of bread and peanut butter feeling ten times bigger in her mouth as she forced herself to swallow. Tears pricked her eyes and she squeezed them shut, wincing at the way it stretched her throat. 

“You alright?” Jughead appeared at her side then, his hand resting on her back, just below the nape of her neck. 

“Yeah,” She nodded, commanding herself to relax before she finally looked at him. “You’re late.” 

He chuckled, warmth seeping into his blue eyes. “Am I now?” 

“Yes. Last period ended almost thirty five minutes ago. I thought -,” She paused and took a breath, not wanting to sound too hurt because that would be pathetic, “I just ... I guess I thought you’d get here sooner.” 

“I see,” Jughead slid his hand higher, his fingers pressing into her skin as he cupped the back of her neck, turning her towards him, “Well is there anything I can do to make up for that?” 

A tiny smile tugged at the corners of Betty’s mouth when she saw the look on his face. 

She knew exactly where this was going and, more importantly, that she had no intention of stopping it either. 

Talk or no talk, she wanted this. After what had almost happened between them during lunch and suffering through a very long day deprived of his presence and touch, she was done denying herself that. 

“I don’t know,” She shrugged innocently, “Why don’t you do something and find out?” 

Reading the challenge in her green eyes, that signature smirk of his appeared as he slowly drew her closer, holding her gaze until their lips were just touching. 

He brushed his mouth over hers. Gently. Teasingly. Dipping his tongue out to trace the seam of her lips. Not quite giving her what she wanted. Betty’s eyelids fluttered closed and she grabbed fistfuls of his leather jacket in both hands, the air in her throat hitching when he leaned in and kissed the side of her mouth. Her skin warmed and tingled where he’d made contact. She tightened her grip, silently begging him not to stop there. 

“Betty.” 

His mouth hovered over hers hesitantly, both of them exchanging quiet, hot breaths. 

She waited, trying to be patient. All he had to do was lean in a centimetre more and they’d be kissing, getting lost in each other the way they had over and over again in her dreams lately, but he didn’t. Instead, he brought his other hand up to her face and rested his forehead on hers, exhaling heavily. 

Was he really holding back because he was worried about what this meant as well? 

Did he want to clear the air and figure out where they stood first? 

Her heart fluttered, the thought making her want to kiss him even more. They would talk. They would clear the air. She would definitely make sure of that, but first she wanted to taste him. To feel him again. 

Before she could tilt her head up and press her mouth to his though, her phone vibrated and dinged in her pocket. 

They both sighed softly, the tension between them slowly dissipating. When Betty looked at him, Jughead gave her a warm smile, the kiss he brushed against her forehead before he lowered his hands and stepped away, telling her that it was okay. 

She let him go, having half a mind to pull out her phone and throw it against the nearest wall, especially when it went off again. 

Gritting her teeth, she looked at the screen and immediately rolled her eyes. 

Two texts from her mother. 

Of course. 

_Mom: We need to discuss some things, Elizabeth._

_Mom: What time can I expect you home?_

Betty scoffed under her breath at the crudeness of the messages. Staying at Veronica’s place all weekend had been a godsend and the last thing she felt like doing was returning to a home that felt more like a prison cell and talking to someone who was more like a warden than a mother. 

Frowning down at the screen, she switched her phone onto silent and clicked it off, stuffing it back into her pocket. 

She couldn’t be bothered with her mother right now. 

Jughead was crouched down on the floor, admiring the old tv and VHS player, when she focused her attention back on him. 

“You set this up by yourself?” He asked, not looking at her. 

“Yeah. I um ... I had some time to kill while I was waiting for you so I thought I’d get it done.” 

He straightened up, brushing his hands on his jeans when he turned to face her, looking decidedly guilty, but also impressed. 

“Would it help if I said that I find it incredibly sexy that you know how to do that?” He asked, his eyes darkening, “Because I do.” 

Betty’s lips quirked into a crooked smile and she felt her face warm as she eyed him shyly. “Maybe.” 

It did. 

Jughead stepped towards her, looking at her like he was ready to pin her against the desk she was leaning on and devour every inch of her. He stopped short though and licked his lips, casting his tall frame over her. She held her breath, looking between his eyes and mouth until he moved, his chest grazing her arm as he leaned around her and picked up the tape, holding it up between them. 

“Let’s find out what’s on this, shall we?” 

The air in her lungs rushed out in a soft huff and warm blood flooded her cheeks and neck. 

Did he really just ... do that? 

He winked at her playfully, smirking like he knew what was on her mind before he turned and walked away, taking that intoxicating warmth of his along with him. 

~

The worn leather couch that sat beneath the windows was a fairly new addition. It used to be  in the students lounge until December last year when it was replaced and then tucked away in the Blue and Gold office for “storage”. 

Betty watched Jughead, admiring him as he pulled it away from the wall with hardly any effort, angling it towards the tv so they could sit on it while they watched the tape together. 

He wasn’t brawny. Not in an obvious way. His body was lean, but hard and muscular. She’d seen it, felt it beneath her hands that night at Pops, but actually witnessing how strong he was only made the growing urge she’d had all day to throw herself at him even harder to ignore. 

He lifted his head, grinning broadly when he caught her staring. “You okay?” 

“Uh y-yeah,” She flushed, dipping her head a little, “I’m fine. All good.” 

She wasn’t. 

Oh no ... She definitely wasn’t. 

He chuckled, giving her a knowing look that told her he knew otherwise, and patted one of the cushions, calling her over. 

She complied with his silent request and sat down. 

“Wanna guess what we might see on this thing?” Jughead asked, grabbing the tape as he walked over to the video player and knelt down. 

“I’m going to say it’s probably something really stupid and inappropriate like porn.” 

“Seriously?” 

“Wouldn’t be the first time Reggie’s pulled a prank like that.” 

He glanced back, giving her an amused look. 

“Well I could think of worse things.” 

Betty could as well, but if this really was a prank, the idea of watching something like porn with Jughead around, whether it was for five minutes or five seconds, made her feel a little overheated. 

She watched him push the tape into the player, hit play and quickly take a seat beside her on the couch, close enough so that his arm was resting against hers. She shivered, trying to suppress the way her stomach tightened. 

When the film started, instead of hearing cheap, generic music and seeing two people having raunchy sex in some cliched, fantasy scene, it turned out to be nothing more than a video of a random house. 

Single storey. White walls, bay windows with a green tiled roof and a beautifully manicured rose garden out front. 

Betty’s brow furrowed the longer she watched. Maybe it was the lack of sound or the lifeless image that remained stagnant, but there was something really creepy about it. Strange and unsettling. When she eventually tore her eyes away from the tv and looked at Jughead she wasn’t surprised to see that he was just as confused as her. 

“I don’t understand ... it’s just a fucking house.” He murmured. 

“Yeah, it’s kinda weird,” Betty whispered. Their eyes met in silent agreement before she spoke again, “Maybe we should try fast forwarding it a little?” 

“You think there’s more on it?” 

“There might be. Can’t hurt to take a look.” 

Turning back towards the screen, Jughead narrowed his eyes and went over to the player again. He hit the fast forward button, but the image on the tv hardly changed, if at all. It was just hours and hours of looped, unedited footage of someone’s house. 

Eventually the tape reached its end though, winding down slowly before coming to an abrupt stop. 

A confused silence filled the room. Betty and Jughead had no idea what they just watched. 

“Well that was sufficiently weird,” Betty mumbled, watching Jughead as he ejected the tape from the player and looked it over again, “Why would someone film a house?” 

“I think the more important question we need to ask ourselves is, why would someone film a house and send the tape to The Blue and Gold?” 

It was a good question. A better question, one she had no clue how to answer. 

“I honestly have no idea,” Betty admitted, completely at a loss, “It definitely isn’t a prank though which makes me wonder what else it could be.” 

Jughead nodded, his frown deepening as he considered the thought. “Do you recognise the place?” 

“No,” Betty shook her head, “Do you?” 

“I don’t think so, but the street name sounded familiar to me.” 

She thought back to the tape, focusing on the image of the house, drawing every detail she could recall about it until the answer she was looking for finally came to her. Along the curb of the road written in large, black letters were the words Cumberland Avenue. 

She immediately pulled out her phone and did a search to see if Riverdale had a Cumberland Avenue, a bright smile appearing on her lips when she saw that it did. 

“Maybe this is why.” She said, holding the phone out to him. 

Within seconds, Jughead was at her side, his hand resting over hers when he reached for it, but didn’t pull it from her grasp. She peered up at him, warmth and excitement filling her belly when she saw him grin broadly as well. 

“You do realise we’re going to have to check this out, right?” 

Betty giggled, eying him curiously. It was an intriguing situation. She couldn’t deny that and the mere idea of looking into this with Jughead, spending more time with him, was enough to make her stomach flutter. 

Whether it would lead to something or not wouldn’t matter. Apart from being around him, it was the not-knowing that thrilled her. 

“So what ... you want to check it out today?” 

She glanced out the window, seeing the late afternoon sun already starting to fade. 

“Okay well maybe not today,” He said around a low chuckle, “But I don’t know, maybe we could meet up and do this again tomorrow?” 

Do this again. 

Hearing those words come from him filled Betty with a sense of anticipation, but they also made her think. So much had happened today, from them bonding over a weird tape to bouts of intense, but unfinished flirting. She wasn’t exactly sure what part of “that” he wanted to repeat. 

“You mean ... investigate?” She tried to clarify. 

“Yeah, of course,” Jughead stared at her, his eyes twinkling with mirth, “Why, what were you thinking?” 

“Oh um ... n-nothing,” Betty stammered out, “I just wanted to be sure that’s all.” She added quickly, pushing any inappropriate or heated thoughts she might’ve had aside. 

He smirked, apparently not buying it. 

“Right,” He leaned down, bringing his lips close to her ear, “Whatever you say, Cooper.” He whispered, the soft timber of his voice making her shiver. 

His grin stretched at the corners when he straightened up again and she was forced to lower her eyes, remembering why it was so damn hard not to blush around him. 

~~~ 

The following day, Betty carried on as if nothing were different. 

She followed her normal routine. Spoke to her friends and paid attention in class. The only thing she did that was slightly unusual was she drove her car to school. 

Normally she preferred to walk, but after the plethora of texts and calls she’d received from her mom since yesterday afternoon, she knew she would have to go home at some point. 

Despite Veronica’s pleas and insistence that she could stay at The Pembroke for as long as she needed too, confronting her mother was something Betty couldn’t avoid forever. She’d already put it off for far too long and if she continued to ignore it, things would undoubtedly get even worse. 

But the other, more pleasant reason why she needed a car was for her impending stakeout with Jughead that afternoon. 

They had seen each other throughout the day. A glimpse in the classroom or a shared smile out in the hallway, but with every minute that ticked by her excitement only grew. 

As soon as the final bell had rang and she’d said goodbye to Kevin and Veronica, Betty headed out to the school parking lot with a bit more of a bounce in her step. It was busy as usual, filled with students all rushing to their cars, eager to get home. 

She made her way down the front steps, subtly looking around for any sign of Jughead in amongst the mess. When she spotted some people clad in Serpent jackets, standing near their motorbikes, she stopped briefly, feeling her heart sink when he was nowhere to be seen. 

It didn’t matter, she told herself. He would come like he had promised. 

Reaching her car, Betty breathed out a quiet sigh and leaned against the side of it, letting her eyes drift towards the small group of Serpents again. 

She recognised the tall one, who had thick black hair and a snake tattooed into the skin on the side of his neck as; Sweet Pea, but the others didn’t look familiar. 

She watched them closely, smiling to herself when they started to laugh, joking back and forth with each other. Looking at them, it was easy to see why people might be intimidated, but to her they really seemed so carefree and normal as well. Nothing like the scary outsiders they were supposed to be. 

Betty almost felt ashamed for ever thinking they were dangerous until she saw Sweet Pea, who was leaning against the seat of his bike, tense up. The massive smile on his face. The happiness in his brown eyes faded when he stood up straight, glaring daggers at someone. 

When the rest of the Serpents went silent and copied his stance, she followed their gazes, gulping when she saw none other than Archie Andrews striding towards them, with Reggie Mantle and Chuck Clayton flanking him at the sides. 

He smirked once he was close enough and wasted no time mouthing off, taunting the Serpents like he had a death wish. 

Betty was about to step closer, for no other reason than to hear what was being said, until she saw Sweet Pea grab Archie by the collar of his letterman jacket, the look on his face making it clear he was ready to rip the redhead in half. 

She held her breath, waiting for things to erupt into a commotion and then suddenly, Jughead appeared out of nowhere, roughly pushing the two boys apart. 

“Pea stop ... that’s enough!” He yelled loudly, forcing his pissed off friend back when he tried to lunge forward again. 

“Stop ... He’s not fucking worth it!” Jughead barked again. 

Still seething, Sweet Pea ignored him and said something that was clearly harsh, spitting the words right in Archie’s face who went as red as his hair and immediately reacted, only to be held back by Reggie. 

A wicked smirk crossed the tall serpent's lips, but he stayed where he was, satisfied that he’d gotten a response out of the northsider. Eventually, he looked at Jughead though and gave his head a small nod, pulling away from his grasp. 

Betty’s eyes widened and fear coursed through her veins as she watched the scene unfold, especially when Jughead turned and stood toe to toe with Archie, looking every bit as dangerous and as threatening as everyone believed he was. 

She swallowed. Over the years she’d seen his quiet, broody nature from afar, but she’d never seen him get so angry before. 

Anyone else probably would’ve gotten the hint and left, but Archie had proven on more than one occasion that he was an idiot. When he let out a laugh and opened his mouth, probably mocking the situation, Jughead snapped. 

“This is pretty fucking simple so even you might be able to understand it, Andrews,” He grabbed the jock by the scruff of his shirt in a tight, lethal grip, getting right up in his face, “Stay the fuck away from us!” He shouted, startling the small crowd of people who had gathered around them. 

He shoved Archie away then, sending him tumbling back into Reggie and Chuck, who both looked furious and ready to fight as well, but neither of them dared to move. 

They all stared at each other, the tension between them palpable and thick with anger, until the serpents rallied behind Jughead and cast their intimidating shadow. Archie and his friends faltered at the sight and slowly, finally backed off, threatening that this wasn’t over. 

Giving his head a shake, Jughead forced out a sigh as he watched them go, the corners of his lips down-turning into a grimace when he faced Sweet Pea again. 

Betty’s chest tightened. 

For a second, she thought he might’ve forgotten about their stakeout, but when the serpents climbed onto their bikes and drove off, a wave of relief washed over her when she saw him still standing there. 

Jughead turned his head then and caught her eye, the angry lines of his face softening, the darkness in his blue eyes seeping away. 

She smiled when a small one crept on his mouth, her heart warming. 

He hadn’t forgotten. 

~~~ 

Cumberland Avenue was a long stretch of road near the western edge of Riverdale. 

They found the house from the tape easily and Betty parked her car a good distance away so they could observe it without drawing too much attention. 

Almost an hour and a half later, they didn’t have anything new to say about their investigation. 

Everything about it seemed perfectly normal and the old lady who lived there, Mrs Adams, could hardly be deemed interesting beyond the obsession she had with pruning her roses to perfection. 

So why this house? 

Why choose to film it and then send it to her? 

That’s what they needed to answer. 

That’s what she needed to focus on. 

Betty exhaled softly and shifted in her seat, refusing to give into the urge she had to glance at Jughead. 

After the incident in the parking lot he had been unnervingly silent. 

Polite, but silent and it was driving her crazy. 

She thought that maybe he was just lost in the investigation, but another part of her felt like it was his way of trying to keep her out of it. For her own safety perhaps or because he didn’t trust her. He was a serpent after all. Whether she truly understood what that meant or not didn’t matter. Regardless of who he was as a person, it was clear to her now that ‘danger’ came with the territory. 

She laid her palms flat against her jeans out of habit, rubbing them over the rough material, hoping he was just trying to protect her. 

“Are your hands okay?” 

Betty stopped and looked at him, a little surprised by the sound of his voice. He was already watching her, his blue eyes a shade darker in the dim light that filled the cab of her car. A moment ago he’d been staring at the house and nothing else, but the way he looked at her now made it seem like he’d been watching her this whole time. 

“Oh um,” She paused, instinctively bringing her hands together, “Yeah, they’re fine. Just a little cold.” 

Ignoring her, Jughead turned in his seat slightly and reached for her hands, gently taking them in his. Betty swallowed back her fears when he turned them over, watching as his thumbs traced over the scars and almost healed cuts. Just like they had at Pops that night. 

He let out a quiet sigh, relieved to see that she hadn’t made any new ones since then. 

The first time he had done this she’d been afraid. Terrified of what a stranger might think. Her scars. What she did to herself whenever the darkness she harboured inside her grew and became too much, was something she never thought anyone, not even her friends, would be able to understand or accept. 

Until him. 

He’d completely changed her perspective on that. 

Jughead sheltered her hands in his and lifted his head, his gaze soft and vulnerable. 

“Are we ever going to talk about what happened between us?” 

“Oh,” Stunned by the question and suddenly feeling nervous, Betty paused, hesitating for a moment, “Well um ... do you want to talk about it?” 

She wanted to. Truthfully, it was a conversation she’d been preparing for ever since they’d parted ways on Friday. So she guessed if there was a time to do it, it was now. While it was just the two of them. Alone. 

From the moment they’d started talking. Kissed and then had sex, she’d almost been certain of what it would end up meaning to her. She’d thought about it non stop over the weekend. About the risks. The rewards. About what she wanted and that what she wanted was him. 

Right now, what scared her though was finding out what he wanted and, more importantly, if what he wanted wasn’t her. 

“I think we need to,” Jughead searched her eyes carefully, “Don’t you?” 

Betty nodded. Yes. They needed to. It was what she’d been hoping and waiting for this whole time, but before she could tell him that a frown appeared on his face and confusion clouded his eyes. He was looking past her, his gaze fixed on something else now. 

“Jug?” She turned her head, trying to figure what he was staring at. 

The street ahead was empty and Mrs Adams was nowhere in sight. At first, Betty didn’t see anything strange. Nothing appeared to be out of place so what was she missing. She let her gaze drift away from the house until it landed the only thing she hadn’t really looked at properly. The mail box. 

Her eyes narrowed and then suddenly widened, realisation hitting her. 

There was something on it. From where she was sitting, it looked like some kind of mark. 

A clue maybe? 

Betty and Jughead looked at each other with combined interest and understanding, before he reached back and snatched his camera out of his messenger bag. 

Together, they wordlessly exited the car and hurried across the road towards the mail box, the symbol on the side of it becoming more distinct the closer they got. 

Once she reached it, Betty made sure Mrs Adams couldn’t see either of them before she bent down, examining it a little more carefully. It was an ‘X’, fairly nondescript and crudely painted across the one side of the mail box in black. Making it large enough to be noticed by anyone who happened to see it. 

It seemed familiar and like a puzzle, she quickly put the pieces together in her mind. There had been an ‘X’ on the tape as well. Did that mean whoever had sent it to her was also responsible for leaving this one here? 

But why? 

She heard a click and glanced back at Jughead, just in time to see him lower his camera. Judging by his thoughtful expression he recognised it too. 

“Do you think it’s just a coincidence?” He asked, coming up to stand beside her. 

Betty shook her head immediately. “I don’t think so. I mean I guess it could be, but I feel like that would be really random and weird. It has to be connected somehow.” 

“Good point, there has to be a link between the two X’s, but what?” Jughead lifted his camera up again and took another picture, his eyebrows pulling together, “You know, it could be a form of marking, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen a tag like this anywhere.” 

“Marking?” She repeated, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that.” 

Looking down at his camera, Jughead spoke while he fiddled around with a few settings. 

“It’s a system criminals use sometimes to communicate with each other before they do a home invasion. They usually tag a house with different shapes and colours or anything that doesn’t seem threatening beforehand so they’ll know what they’re going into.” 

“So wait, each shape and colour or object means something different like ‘there’s a gun in the house” or ‘a guard dog’?” 

His lips curled into a smile, like he was impressed. “I see what you’re getting at, but each gang or group of criminals has their own list of meanings for the colours and shapes, so we would need to know who’s behind this to determine what this one means.” 

Betty nodded, a part of her tempted, but too scared to ask him how he knew all of that. She stood up straight and ran her eyes over him, her throat going dry at the sight of his thick, black hair hanging in his eyes while he examined the shots he’d taken. 

After what he’d disclosed to her in that booth on Friday night, she couldn’t imagine him as a someone who would willingly get involved in something like a home invasion. 

She couldn’t see him mindlessly hurting a person or putting their lives in danger. Jughead flashed his eyes towards her and grinned crookedly. Reading her like an open book 

“Relax,” He chuckled, “Home invasions aren’t the Serpents style.” 

“They aren’t?” Betty stared at him, fiddling with the sleeve of her sweater, “What is then?” 

He looked at her, quizzically at first, but then with caution. “Are you sure you want to know?” 

Did she? 

Was she prepared to learn that? 

She thought back to the incident in the parking lot earlier and how Jughead seemed determined to forget about it entirely. Maybe there was a good reason why she shouldn’t want to know certain things about his life, but at the same time, she wanted to understand him. All of him. The good and the bad. 

They hadn’t finished talking in the car either and she suddenly wondered, if now it was the right time to do that. 

“Look, Jug I -“ 

“- Excuse me,” A voice said out of nowhere, startling them both, “Can I help you with something?” 

They turned to see Mrs Adams standing on her front porch, eyeing both of them wearily. 

Betty felt her heart lurch into overdrive. She could only imagine what her mother would say or do if she ever found out about this. About the investigation. About Jughead. She was on the verge of a panic attack when he draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her in, bringing his lips down to her ear. 

“I’ve got this. Just play along, okay.” He whispered, kissing the side of her head. 

“Oh um, we’re terribly sorry Ma’am,” Jughead apologised politely next, smiling as he turned to face Mrs Adams again, “My girlfriend and I, we were just going for a walk when we noticed this weird graffiti on your mail box. Right babe?” 

Betty stood there like a fish out of water, so shocked and focused on the fact that she was wedged into the side of his body and that he’d called her his girlfriend and ‘babe’ in the same sentence, that he had to give her shoulder a squeeze before she found the will to snap out of it.  “Oh um ... yes, we’re sorry if it seems like we were intruding. We were just curious.” 

“I see. Well don’t concern yourself with that,” The old lady said, waving her hand around dismissively, “It’s nothing, just some rotten kids vandalising folks homes again.” 

“Does that happen a lot?” Jughead asked. 

“No, not a lot I suppose, but it has happened before.” 

Sharing a quick glance, Betty and Jughead already knew this wasn’t a senseless act of vandalism. Someone had deliberately filmed this house, sent the tape to the blue and gold and led them here. That ‘X’ had to be connected to all of it. It had to be. 

“Do you have any idea when they might’ve done it?” Betty asked, trying to sound casual even though the cogs in her brain were already turning with theories. 

“The night before last.” Mrs Adams squinted her eyes, suddenly suspicious, “Why do you want to know that?” 

Jughead and Betty looked at each other, both of them fighting the urge to grin. There it was. They finally had a potential lead of sorts. Even if all it did was pose a lot more questions than answers. Knowing that the ‘X’ on the tape and the one on Mrs Robins mailbox had most likely been left by the same person, at around the same time was something. Better than nothing. 

It was a place to start. 

~~~ 

They thanked Mrs Robins and left, giving her a halfhearted explanation which probably only served to confuse her more. 

The drive back to Riverdale High was animated at first. They shared their thoughts back and forth between each other, trying to understand why someone would send a tape of a person’s house to them and mark both the house and the tape with an ‘X’. 

When an answer that made logical sense eluded them it seemed like they’d hit a dead end, until an idea popped into Betty’s head. 

“What if this whole thing was just a move?” 

“A move?” Jughead repeated. 

“Yes. Think about it, this could be one move out of a whole series that still needs to happen before we can figure out exactly what this is building up to.” 

The one side of his mouth curled into a smirk. 

“I think you might be onto something, Cooper.” He said, slowly raising his eyebrows. 

Cheeks warming, Betty smiled to herself. Not that she really needed it, but his validation in the idea meant a lot. 

“It’s just a theory.” She pointed out hastily, beating her self esteem down a little. She never allowed herself to enjoy any kind of praise for very long. 

“That may be,” Jughead said quietly. He touched her arm when she slowed for the next stop street. Betty looked at him, holding her breath when she saw the clarity in his eyes, “And it’s the best one we’ve got.” 

Silence filled the car after that. It wasn’t strained or uncomfortable, but it was blaring in a different way. It made her think. About him and the damn conversation they still hadn’t had. 

She tightened her hands on the steering wheel and kept her eyes fixed on the lamp-lit road ahead, deliberating whether she should try saying something now, but when she glanced at him and saw that he was glaring down at his phone, any confidence she had cracked. 

By the time they pulled into the students parking lot outside Riverdale High ten minutes later, it hadn’t returned. 

His bike was still there, left exactly where he had parked it this morning. Close to where the incident between Sweet Pea and Archie had occurred. She brought her car to a stop near it and turned the engine off, letting out a sigh. 

They stayed still, staring out at the empty lot, neither of them saying anything. Betty waited, hoping he would say or do something. Smile maybe or acknowledge her in some small way. Instead, he stared at his hands. Looking about as vulnerable as she probably did. 

“It meant something,” She confessed suddenly, her voice sounding too soft and shaky in her ears. “What happened between us at Pops. It meant something to me. I don’t regret it. I wasn’t using you or rebelling to try and make a point and I’m not expecting you to feel the same way either. I just thought you should know that I ... I like you. I have for a while.” 

She took a deep breath as soon as she finished, keeping her eyes down, not looking up even though she could feel his gaze trained on her. Burning into her. The tension between them stirring. 

“Fuck Betts, I … I wish I’d known that sooner.” She heard him whisper. His words sounding heavy. 

“Why?” 

She looked at him this time. Ready for whatever he had to say next. For him to either break her heart or claim it as an extension of his own. 

Without saying a word, Jughead reached for her, gently tugging her over the centre console and into his lap. She straddled him on instinct and because it was comfortable in the small amount of space her car gave them, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” His breath fanned against her lips as he gazed up at her, his eyes dark and intense. More so than usual, “I haven’t stopped thinking about you, Betty Cooper,” He leaned in, his hands slipping underneath her sweater, teasing her with a kiss he had no intention of giving just yet “Since the first time I saw you three years ago.” 

Her thighs clenched. 

Three years ... he’d felt this way since they first started high school together. 

A soft whimper escaped from her throat at the thought, her heart racing. 

Jughead flicked his tongue against her lips, digging the tips of his fingers into her skin when she moved and sank her mouth down onto his, kissing him slow and deep. 

He groaned into it and bucked his hips slightly, making her shiver and gasp, that familiar heat already pooling low in her belly. She could feel him, hard and ready under his jeans. Desperate for her. 

“God, I want you so badly, Betty,” He murmured, “You have no idea how hard it’s been for me to keep my hands off of you.” 

Her eyelids fluttered closed as he spoke, her jaw going slack. “Jug ...” 

Betty tilted her head back, letting his mouth trail down and along her length of her neck. Kissing. Sucking. His teeth scraping. The feel of his tongue on her skin setting her veins on fire. 

“Do you want me, Betts?” 

“What do you think?” She asked seductively, slowly dragging her hips over his. 

Jughead chuckled in response and gently pulled her lower lip between his teeth, sucking on it before he grabbed the back of her neck, crushing her mouth down to his. 

Her toes curled in her sneakers as he dipped his tongue past the seam of her lips, a hum of approval passing between them when her hands ran through his hair, pushing off his beanie. She moved over him slowly, rubbing, pressing her chest to his, wanting so much more. 

Her stomach tightened with knots and she immediately reached down, her nimble fingers making short work of his belt buckle, then the button and zip on his jeans. He tugged at the hem of her sweater impatiently and she giggled into another kiss, lifting her arms as high as she could in cramped space. 

They stripped off their clothes hurriedly. His leather jacket. Her shoes. Their shirts. Her jeans. When she unhooked her bra, Jughead sat back and watched, smoothing his hands over her bare thighs as he took in the sight of her almost entirely naked in front of him. 

“Jesus ...” He swallowed thickly and shifted beneath her, the bulge in his pants growing even more prominent than it had been a moment ago. 

Betty smiled, feeling every available space inside her warm. After years and years of being subjected to her mother's snide, but apparently “well meaning” remarks, she’d always been a little insecure about her body. Even after Veronica had sat her down in front of a mirror and showed her how wrong her mother was, she still felt self-conscious. 

But hearing Jughead say that one word, his gaze dark and unwavering while he did, she finally felt herself believe it. No one had ever looked at her the way he was now, with so much want and pent up desire. 

She let her eyes wander over him next, running her hands over his pecs and shoulders, tracing the grooves and lines of his torso with the tips of her fingers. She grinned broadly, his muscles tensing under her touch. He was defined, sexy. His skin smooth and warm. She skimmed over his scar, relieved to see that the bruises on his ribs were all but gone. 

“You’re so unbelievably hot.” She mumbled without really thinking. Normally she would’ve flushed with embarrassment, but right now that was the last thing on her mind. 

Jughead chuckled and drew her towards him, covering her mouth in a slow, drugging kind of kiss, stealing the remaining air from her lungs until he suddenly broke away. 

“Shit,” He groaned, “I-I don’t think I have a condom on me.” 

“Oh it ... It’s okay,” Betty murmured, “Please, d-don’t stop. I’m clean ... and I’m on the pill.” She leaned down, ghosting a kiss over his lips, palming his arousal, “It’s fine, I promise. I just ... I want you, Juggie.” 

He growled, low and heady, at the idea of feeling her, the sound rumbling from his stomach as he surged forward, attacking her mouth again, his hips lifting automatically when she reached down and hurriedly pushed his jeans off as well. 

Still kissing, he pulled her panties aside and griped her waist again, slowly guided her down onto his cock, her breath stuttering as he stretched and filled her so perfectly. 

They both stilled, foreheads pressed together, their hearts pounding in their ears as they tried to breathe evenly. 

“Fuck ... you feel amazing.” 

“S-so do you,” She rose up a little, whimpering at the delicious friction the small movement caused, “Oh my god.” Fuuuuck. 

Jughead lips found her neck, then the shell of her ear and he practically begged her not to stay still anymore. To not make him wait. 

She listened and moved above him, grinding and rolling her hips, taking him deep inside her as he thrusted up, moving his body in tandem with hers. Their lips met and his hand came up to cup her breast, squeezing lightly, plumping it up before he leaned down and covered it with his mouth. 

A loud moan trickled from Betty’s throat and she tipped her head back, sinking her nails into his skin when he dragged his tongue over her nipple, catching it between his teeth. 

“Jug ... I - I’m ...” 

She was so close she could hardly breathe. The warmth in her stomach seeping to her toe and fingers, Jughead’s mouth hovering just an inch away from hers as he groaned with desperation, quickening their pace. 

His fingers touched her core, barely rubbing her swollen clit before she whined against his mouth and something exploded inside her. She clenched around him, crying out as her walls pulsed as his dick throbbed and warmed and he stiffened, thrusting once more, coming as well. 

Breathing harshly, Jughead’s arms slipped around her body and he collapsed right into her chest. She held him close, burying her face in his thick mess of hair, gasping as she tried to calm down and catch her breath. Damp, warm and sated, they stayed like that for a long while, holding each other. 

“Gotta say,” He mumbled around a weak chuckle, “This has been a pretty interesting trail run so far.” 

Betty giggled lightly at the comment, dusting her lips against the top of his head. “I think we can safely say that its been an unqualified success.” 

“You sure about that?” Jughead breathed out another laugh, moving so he could see her, holding her gaze. 

Betty nodded. 

Personal feelings aside, she’d had more fun today investigating with him, than she’d had in her entire life doing the things other people wanted her to enjoy. 

She was determined to make this year count. On her terms and no one else’s. 

“Well you know what they say; two pairs of eyes are way better than one. The same goes for investigators. Besides, I kinda like having you around.” 

She leaned down the rest of the way then, pressing her mouth to his in a steady kiss. One that left Jughead grinning from ear to ear by the time they pulled apart. 

“Well then, looks like you’ve found your new photographer, boss.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the mystery doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere but be patient ... things are going to happen. 
> 
> Thanks for reading - if you feel like it please comment and leave your thoughts, I would appreciate it. :)


	3. Fire, Fire Burning Bright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything’s simple until things take an interesting turn!!

Gentle green eyes. Her blonde hair slipping between his fingers. That smile. The softness of her skin. The sound of her voice. Her taste. Her smell. Everything. Absolutely everything about her was warm. Hypnotic. Inviting. 

Lying flat on his stomach, Jughead smiled, his muscles tightening as he buried his face further into his pillow. 

God, he was so gone for her already. 

It would be really stupid to even try and deny it. 

For most of his life he had lived under no illusions or fantasies. Things were bad. At home. In general. His mother had left when he was fourteen and his father was an alcoholic. He had been pressed into joining a dangerous gang against his will. Beaten to within an inch of his life. Forced to do stuff he would never ordinarily do just so he could survive. 

For years now he had suppressed his true self. His thoughts. Dreams. Ambitions and desires. Convinced that it didn’t matter or that he would never be able have it anyway. 

Until last night when one of the things he never thought would happen did. 

Betty Cooper liked him. 

She really liked him and that fateful evening between them at Pops meant as much to her as it did to him. 

The elation he’d felt hearing her say that was indescribable. It was a different kind of feeling. Unfamiliar, but in a way that made him feel like he could have all the things he never thought he could’ve had before. 

Like he might actually have a future beyond the Serpents, the Southside and Riverdale. 

After having sex in her car they had kissed more times than he could count, their hands and mouths exploring and enjoying each other a little more. Their baffling investigation earlier all but forgotten by the time they’d exchanged numbers and whispered how they couldn’t wait to see each other again tomorrow. 

His heart had felt lighter as he’d made his way home and the massive smile he’d had etched across his lips had stayed there, until he’d stepped into his families trailer and was hit with a harsh reality. 

Any and all thoughts of Betty had disappeared as soon as he had seen his old man, fresh off a hard round of drinking at the Whyte Worm, waiting for him. 

Despite his best efforts to avoid him and go straight to bed, his dad had cornered him in the kitchen, demanding to know where he’d been all afternoon. 

When he had refused to give him an answer, FP’s ire had grown. 

It didn’t take long for things to turn violent.

His father had thrown a punch, one that Jughead almost dodged, but clipped his jaw before he’d slipped away and shut himself in his room, locking the door behind him. 

Once his dad’s persistent banging and drunken, empty threats had ceased, he had settled down underneath the covers and sent Betty a good night text, flooding his thoughts with images of her again. 

She didn’t leave his mind for the rest of the night even after he’d fallen fast asleep. 

Lying in his bed hours later, he still found it impossible not to imagine her on top of him, grinding her hips, moaning softly. Her mouth hovering just above his, teasing him with a kiss. 

Sighing contently into his pillow, he felt his dick grow hard. His hand just itching to slip past the waistband of his boxers and relieve himself when his bedroom door suddenly banged opened. 

“Hey loser, it’s time to get up.” 

Jughead barely managed to open his eyes before something large and not exactly light collapsed onto his back, making him groan loudly. 

He coughed and heaved in a breath, turning his head so he could glare at his twin sister; Jellybean Jones, who looked far too happy despite how early it was. 

“I have an alarm, you know.” He grumbled, frowning at her when she grinned broadly. 

“I know dumbass. I heard it go off five minutes ago. So why are you still loafing around in bed?” 

“I’m not loafing, I was just about to get up.” 

“Sure you were.” JB scoffed. 

She pushed him down into the mattress as she climbed off of him and Jughead grunted under her weight, chucking at how typical that level of sarcasm was for his sister. He rolled onto his back afterwards and let out a long yawn, sitting up slowly. 

“I take it you’re feeling better?” He asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

“Kind of,” JB shrugged, “My throat’s not as bad as it was. Still feel like shit though.” 

Jughead rolled his eyes, “I think you just like being off school.” 

“Everyone likes being off school, dingus. Being off because you have Mono straight up sucks.” 

A sympathetic smile appeared on his lips. He’d never had glandular fever before, but after watching her spend the last couple of weeks cooped up in bed, buried under a mountain of blankets, sick as a dog, he decided to take her word for it. 

“Besides,” JB continued, bouncing a little as she sat down, cross-legged on the lower half of his bed, ”It’s not like I’m missing anything important. Nothing ever happens during the first week of school.” 

Normally Jughead would’ve agreed with her, but between the mysterious video tape, the incident with Archie and his new, budding relationship Betty, he simply couldn’t. 

He pulled back the covers and got up, grabbing the black t-shirt that was hanging off the back of his desk chair and slipping it on, his brow creased when he turned to face her.

“Actually Jelly, that’s not entirely true.” 

Frowning, Jellybean titled her head to the side, interest and caution taking shape in her blue eyes. 

He sighed before he spoke again. 

“Archie and his football buddies openly confronted The Serpents in the parking lot after school yesterday.” 

She raised her eyebrows. 

“Wow, does that ginger jock strap he have a death wish or something?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe he does,” Jughead murmured, resting his hip against his desk, “It was a pretty bold move though. Which makes me wonder what gave him the confidence to do it.” 

“More like the stupidity to do it,” JB corrected, “I don’t think he knows what he’s getting himself into.” 

“Agreed. Either way it’s something we’ll have to keep an eye on.” 

They nodded together, silently agreeing. Archie Andrews had been a thorn in the Serpents side from the moment they had transferred to Riverdale High. Harmless, because he never actually did anything, but still an annoyance and despite what people might think, they weren’t always looking for an excuse to fight, but they will if they have to. 

“Is that why you didn’t come home until late last night?” 

Jughead felt his lips tug into a warm smile. Memories of Betty - of his _girlfriend_ \- flashing in and out of his mind. He couldn’t wait to see her. Kiss her and just be near her again. 

“Ah hello?” He barely caught sight of the pillow JB threw at him before it smacked him square in the face, “What’s with you?” She asked. 

“What?” 

“You’re smiling.” 

He gave his shoulder a nonchalant shrug. “And?” 

“And you hardly ever smile. Especially like that,” She narrowed her eyes, folding her arms expectantly, “So care to share what’s on your mind and where you were yesterday?” 

The question made Jughead feel pensive. 

He considered telling his sister the truth. About the tape. About his relationship with Betty, but he also felt the urge not to. Not only because a part of him wanted to protect what they had together, but because he also realised how delicate the situation was. 

Whether it mattered to them or not, he and Betty were from different worlds which meant that they had to be careful. They needed to discuss things and be smart about how they would handle it all going forward. 

Until then, he needed to find a way to throw his sister off the subject. 

“How about this,” He said, “If you tell me who you gave you mono, I’ll tell you where I was and why I’m smiling.” 

JB made a face, clearly unimpressed. 

“Nice try,” She replied, “But I already said that I’ll never tell you his or her name. So quit asking.” 

Jughead held up his hands, grinning from ear to ear now. “Fine, then I guess we both have secrets we aren’t willing to share.” 

They stared at each other, neither of them backing down like the strong, stubborn siblings they were. 

“You’re such an ass.” Jellybean muttered. 

This time he managed to duck, laughing under his breath as he dodged out of the way of the boot she chucked at him. 

Typical. 

He expected nothing less though. 

“Come on sickie, I think we could both use some coffee.” 

Running a hand through his tousled hair, Jughead padded out of his room and headed towards the kitchen with JB following close behind. He kept an eye out, cautiously looking for any sign that his father might still be lurking around. 

He would rather avoid another fight this morning. 

When he stepped into the main part of the trailer he was greeted with a familiar sight. Their cramped living room was a mess. A grimy glass filled with cheap whiskey, beer bottles and a half eaten box of pizza littered the small coffee table. A few more bottles cluttered the countertop in the kitchen while a recently dirtied plate and mug had been haphazardly piled in the sink. 

He sighed with relief. “Looks like dad’s already left for the day.” 

“Yup. I heard him yelling at someone on the phone early this morning. He banged the front door so loud it woke me up.” 

Jughead met his sister’s anxious gaze. He shared her concern. His dad was already a pain to be around. He was even worse when he was angry. 

Pushing the thought aside, he rubbed her shoulder affectionately and went over to the cabinet, pulling out two mugs and filling both of them with two heaped spoons of instant coffee and sugar.

“How’s your jaw, by the way?” JB asked behind him. 

He turned on the kettle and lifted his hand, wincing slightly when he touched the spot where FP’s fist had smashed into him. 

He quickly lowered it. 

“Uh you know ... it hurts a little, but it’s nothing I’m not used to.” 

“You shouldn’t be used to it at all.” JB countered. She walked over to him and turned his face to the side, grimacing as she stared at the bruise, “If I hadn’t fallen asleep early last night I would’ve told you not to come home.” 

Jughead gave her a look, gently pulling away from her grasp. “You know that only would’ve made things worse. I’d rather take a hit then let him get anywhere near you.” 

He expected her to say something or argue out of habit. Making it clear to him that she was more than capable of handling things on her own and defending herself along the way. She’d proven as much already thanks to the dangerous situations they’d found themselves in curiosity of the Serpents. 

But for once, she bit back her words, the look in her eyes telling him that she remembered the promise he’d made her when they were kids and that she had agreed to let him keep it. 

No matter what. 

The kettle clicked and Jughead poured the hot water into the cups, giving one to her. Keeping her head down, she took it from him, moving until she was tucked into his side. 

“You’re a dork, but I love you,” She mumbled quietly, “You know that, right?”

He smiled, dropping his head onto hers. “Yeah, I do.” 

~~~

An hour later, Jughead pulled his motorbike into the parking lot outside Riverdale High, a sigh falling from his lips when he removed his helmet and took in the chaotic sight before him. 

There were students everywhere. Their music blaring while they leaned against the hoods of their cars, flirting and talking or making out with each other. Groups of people stared at him as they passed by, making judgements about him before they even knew him. 

It had been three years and he still felt like an outsider, rolling his eyes. Happy to ignore to social constructs of high school and reject it all. 

“Something tells me that asshole is going to be an ongoing problem.” He heard Sweet Pea grumble beside him. 

He followed the tall serpent's angry gaze, his own face hardening with displeasure when he spotted a familiar and unwanted redhead at the top of the main steps, glaring at them. 

Jughead clenched his jaw, then one of his fists. Archie Andrews was really starting to bark up the wrong tree. 

“Leave him and his friends alone,” He ordered calmly, not taking his eyes off the ignorant jock, “I mean it, Pea. I don’t want any fighting, but if something does happen, make sure they start it.” 

“I already told you Jones, I didn’t start what happened yesterday.” 

He nodded. 

He’d been smoking a cigarette at the time, his eyes trained on Betty, watching her from afar, thinking about how cute she looked, when he’d heard the commotion and had been forced to step in. 

“I know. I saw what happened, but Andrews will probably try and get us to throw the first punch so we’ll take the blame,” He glanced towards the front steps again, just in time to see Archie head inside with Chuck, “This isn’t the time or place to settle anything, but if they keep this up, we‘ll give them what they want and find a more suitable place so we can end this shit once and for all.” 

Sweet Pea clenched his jaw a few times, looking off to the side. 

“Yeah fine, whatever you say, Jug.” He muttered before he stalked off alone, his tone indicating that he wasn’t exactly happy with that arrangement. 

Jughead watched him go, not feeling as confident in his friend as he usually did. It’s not that he didn’t trust Sweet Pea. What worried him was how easily Archie seemed to spark his temper. 

And there was no real way of predicting what would happen if Sweet Pea lost his temper. 

The last thing he needed was the Serpents getting into a dust up and taking the fall for it. Because they inevitably would even if they didn’t start it. 

So far he’d managed to avoid a situation like that, but he had an unsettling feeling that wouldn’t last much longer. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” He heard a familiar voice say, a smile spilling over his lips when his other best friend; Toni Topaz came to stand beside him.

Jughead glanced at her and nodded, giving her shoulder a grateful squeeze. He just hoped she would be enough of a barrier to keep Sweet Pea in line and the brewing storm at bay.

Aside from Jellybean, there were only two people he could trust in the Serpents and on the Southside as a whole. He’d known Sweet Pea and Toni his whole life. To them, he was a lot more than just “The Prince of the Southside”. They had been through the gauntlet, the Serpent's toughest initiation, together and survived. 

Now all three of them were stuck in a life none of them had wanted in the first place. 

“I see you had a conversation with your dad last night.” Toni said, noticing the bruise on his jaw. 

“Yeah, I did.” Jughead gritted his teeth and turned away, hanging his helmet on the handlebar of his bike. 

He could feel her staring at him though, the concern in her voice impossible to ignore when she spoke again. 

“You want to talk about it?” 

Jughead shook his head and pulled his grey beanie out of his messenger bag, putting it on. “No. Not today.” 

Toni inclined her head in understanding as they started walking towards the school with a few other Serpents trailing behind them. 

The conversation died after that and he allowed himself to grin when she bumped her shoulder into his. The rest of the walk to their lockers was filled with her telling him all about the last girl she’d gone on a date with and how the whole thing turned out to be a gigantic disaster. 

On any other day, she would’ve stubbornly pressed him for answers until he eventually caved and gave them up. 

He was glad that today, she decided not too.

  
  


~

  
  


He was late for Biology and then for History after that as well. 

Not that Jughead necessarily cared. The best part of those classes was seeing the bright smile Betty gave him and the soft blush that stained her cheeks when he walked in a few minutes after everyone else. 

He wanted to talk to her. 

He was itching too. 

But he soon discovered that trying to speak to her out in the hallway was pointless thanks to Veronica Lodge and her infuriating tendency to always snatch Betty up before he could. 

So he kept looking at her when he should’ve been listening or paying attention. His fingers drumming on the desk in front of him. Every second that ticked by making it harder and harder for him to sit still. 

He was so distracted by her, he completely missed the question his teacher asked him about the 1848 Revolutions. It took the whole class snickering behind their hands before he snapped out of it, his neck warming as he stammered out an answer. 

It was worth it though when Betty turned and looked back at him. Her green eyes were soft. Innocent, yet washed with desire. Like he made her feel special. 

It took everything he had inside him not to march over and kiss whatever air she had in her lungs right out of her. 

Everyone else in the room be damned. 

A small smile flitted across her lips. Apparently she was thinking the same thing as well. 

  
  


~

  
  


When the bell for lunch finally rang, he knew exactly where he would find her. 

After being held up by his history teacher who demanded to speak to him about his tardiness and attitude, or lack there of, his legs couldn’t carry him to the Blue and Gold fast enough. 

Jughead wondered if it would always be like this. 

If she would always make him this crazy. 

As he neared the office, he checked once more to make sure he wasn’t being followed, before he opened the door and slipped inside. 

She was laying on the Blue and Gold’s old leather couch, the tiniest of frowns etched on her brow while she read his copy of _Atonement_.

He froze. 

To him, Betty Cooper was already beautiful. 

Like this though, with her blonde hair accentuated by the sunlight spilling in through the windows above her, she was the epitome of what he considered to be his ultimate dream girl. 

Her concentration broke and she looked away from the book, her face lighting up as soon as her eyes landed on him. 

Jughead worked his throat hard. 

He wasn’t in the habit of physically idolising women, but damn, he found it hard not to do that with her right now. 

“Hey,” Betty said. She sat up straight, sliding a bookmark between the novel's pages, “You okay?” 

He nodded, stepping forward, tugging his beanie off and throwing it onto a nearby desk. 

He kept his eyes locked with hers as he approached, his hands gripping the armrest and the back of the sofa, his knee digging into the cushion as he lowered himself down onto her. 

She sank back into the couch slowly, smiling up at him, sighing into the kiss he covered her mouth with. 

Jughead growled softly, nibbling on her lips, skimming his mouth over them when she threaded her fingers into his hair, drawing him in. Bringing him as close as possible. 

The heat of her body beneath his warmed him. He closed his eyes, dropping his forehead onto hers. Breathing easily for the first time in hours. 

“Sorry, but I’ve been dying to do that all morning.” He confessed quietly. 

“Have you now?” The teasing lint in her voice matched the cheerful disposition swimming in her eyes. 

He smiled crookedly, giving her a mildly chastising look. “You know I have.” 

Betty let out a soft giggle. Oh she knew. He could tell that she was aware of his suffering and that the constant distance between them this morning had caused it. 

She’d been in the same predicament after all. 

Jughead brushed his nose against hers, breathing her in, dipping his head so he could taste that intoxicating sweetness of hers again. She obliged with a quiet hum, cupping his face in her palms, tilting her head slightly when he slipped his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss this time. 

It scared him how effortless it was to get lost in her. He wasn’t used to being so vulnerable or experiencing what it felt like to be affected by someone on such a gigantic scale. 

He liked it though. Craving it as much as air. 

Propped on his elbows, he relaxed on top of her, kissing her mouth lazily, lulled into a much needed sense of calm, until he felt her fingers trace his bruised jawline. 

He cringed and hissed under his breath, pulling away when she pressed the tender blemish. 

“Jug?” 

The concern in her voice was unmissable and when it reached his ears, he went rigid, squeezing his eyes shut. 

_Shit!_

He’d forgotten about the latest, temporary ‘souvenir’ he had received from his father. 

He inhaled a breath, looking at her when the tips of her fingers stroked over the bruise again. 

Her eyes were troubled. Filled with sadness, but also comprehension and in that moment he knew she needed no explanation. That anything he would say would only confirm what she already knew to be true. 

“I hate seeing you hurt.” She whispered. 

“I know.” He murmured back. I wish you didn’t have to see it, he wanted to add, but chose not to. 

Her reaction wasn’t typical. Truthfully, it would’ve confused the heck out of him if this wasn’t the first time he had arrived at school sporting some kind of injury. 

On more than one occasion he had walked around Riverdale High with a black eye or busted up lip. She must’ve seen him. It made him wonder just how long she’d been secretly observing him before their meeting at Pops. 

“Was it your ...” Betty trailed off hesitantly, the unfinished question hanging in the air between them. 

Jughead paused. 

_Dad_ ... she was going to say dad. 

After showing her his scar and the bruises on his body, it shouldn’t surprise him that her thoughts would immediately go there. 

He looked off the side, pressing his lips together in a hard line before he gave his head a slight nod. 

He moved to climb off her, but she stopped him, gently turning his head so he was looking at her again. Silently begging him not to shut her out.

She brushed the pads of her thumbs over his cheeks, her eyes broken-hearted as she gazed up at him, like she knew how he felt. 

He turned his face into the palm of her hand and her eyes softened when he kissed the scars there. 

She knew. _Of course she did_. 

They stared at each other for a moment, silently communicating how grateful they were for this. For them. 

She slipped her arms around him and he allowed her to pull him down into a warm hug. Sighing as he buried his mouth and nose into the soft, faintly scented skin on her neck. 

“Can I do anything to make you feel better?” Betty asked quietly, carding her fingers through his hair. 

He shook his head. “What you’re doing right now is more than enough, Betts.” 

It wasn’t a pretence. Here with her, with the sun on his back and her arms around him he felt more at peace than he ever had in his entire life. 

He felt like nothing could touch them, which strictly speaking wasn’t true. His conversation with JB earlier had made him realise that.

They still needed to talk and he supposed now was the best time to do it. 

“What are we going to do, Betty?” He murmured in a sad voice. Her fingers stopped stroking and he could tell without looking that she was confused. 

“What do you mean?” She asked, “About what?” 

He shifted, leaning back on his knees so he could see her face. 

“About us. Is there an us? Because when our families and friends find out I can guarantee they will do everything they can to keep us apart. I mean, do you really think your mom would be okay with you dating a Serpent?” 

With an uneasy sigh, Betty straightened up as well, sitting level with him now. “No, I guess she wouldn’t be. She already has this stupid vendetta agianst the Southside." 

"And my dad practically hates anything to do with the Northside, especially the people. He would never accept us being together.” 

She trapped her bottom lip between her teeth and frowned, her eyes dimming. Aware that what he was saying was true. 

“Does that really matter though?” She asked earnestly, “I like you and you like me. Who gives a damn about what anyone else thinks?” 

The corners of Jughead’s mouth twitched into a small smile. Her positivity and strength was infectious, enough to make him see a brighter side of the situation. Even if it was an unlikely one. 

“I wish it would be that simple, Betts,” He murmured, “But you and I both know that the people in this town are way too cruel to be that tolerant.” 

“So then we don’t tell them,” She suggested quickly, “We keep our relationship a secret until we can get away.” 

“What, like leave Riverdale?” Jughead joked. He let out a chuckle, not sure if she was being serious or not. 

“Exactly,” Betty replied, telling him with her eyes that she was. His eyebrows rose. She was being deadly serious, “As long as we’re here, they’ll never leave us alone, Juggie.” 

Her words washed over him and a strange new sensation slowly formed inside him. 

He had to admit, it wasn’t a bad idea at all. If anything it was the most reasonable solution to their dilemma. A lot better than them being forced to stay away from each other just to appease everyone else. 

If they thought it through carefully they could definitely pull it off. 

“It won’t be easy, you know?” Jughead warned, the low, husky timbre of his voice matching the dark look glinting in his eyes. 

“What?” Betty giggled lightly, “Keeping a secret?” 

He nodded, moving forward until her back was on the cracked, leather cushions and he had settled himself on top of her again. 

“Lying to anyone, even to someone you don’t like, for an entire year is a hard thing to do.” 

“Oh I think I’m up for the challenge.” She purred, moving her hands over his chest and under his jacket, pulling him down until his mouth was hovering just above hers. 

Jughead kissed her without hesitation, nibbling on her lips softly, soothing them before diving back in. Betty hummed with anticipation, sinking her mouth into his slowly. Eating him up. When she pressed her nails into his back slightly, he groaned, feeling his cock twitch, growing hard in his jeans. 

_Jesus ... he stirred so easily for her._

“This is crazy.” He whispered, his eyes closing when she gently scraped her teeth over his earlobe, brushing her lips over his skin. 

In fact it was completely nuts, especially for someone like him. A person who actively avoided getting too close to anyone who wasn’t related to him by blood. Someone who’d always dreamed of leaving Riverdale one day, but never like this. 

Never with someone like her or anyone really. 

But Betty Cooper had somehow convinced him that this was the only thing he had ever wanted to do. 

She giggled beneath him, her breath warming his skin when she spoke. 

“Completely crazy,” She leaned her head back, anxiously meeting his gaze, “I mean, we haven’t even been together for a week so I understand well ... if you don’t want to -“ 

He shook his head and cut her off with a sound kiss, framing her face with his hands. “I want to,” He breathed, “I don’t care how long it’s been, I’d go anywhere with you right now.” 

It was like she’d paged through his thoughts and read them, learning what he wanted and hoped for. A life away from the serpents. From his dad. 

A life where he would have a future of his own ... and perhaps, if he was lucky, one with her. 

Her mouth found his then and they stayed where they were, molding the top halves of their bodies together, setting their plans in stone with a deep, binding kind of kiss. 

When the bell rang a few minutes later neither of them heard it. 

Flushed and with hard-to-hide-smiles plastered across their faces, they both arrived late for their next class. 

They didn’t care. 

  
  


~~~ 

  
  


Jughead sat beneath the bleachers near the football field, smoking a cigarette. A smile curled on his mouth while he watched Sweet Pea and Fangs laugh and kick an empty Coke can around in the drizzling rain. 

A few other serpents were scattered nearby, close, but still far away, giving him space, which is how they knew he preferred it. 

The only one who dared to sit close to him as usual was Toni. 

He breathed out a puff of smoke and glared at the dark grey clouds looming in the sky. The wind was starting to pick up and pretty soon the stands wouldn’t be enough to shield them from the cold, miserable weather.

“Do you want to head back inside?” Toni asked beside him, not taking her eyes off the book in her hands. 

He shook his head. “A little rain never hurt anyone. Maybe we’ll get sick and get a week off from this shit hole.” 

She rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile on her lips. “Wishful thinking, Jones.” She turned the page and continued to read, shifting so that her back was resting against his arm a little more, “By the way, I heard Jules’ is coming to visit again.” 

He heaved out a sigh and took a final drag from his smoke, crushing the butt beneath his boot when he dropped it on the ground. 

“And?” 

“And didn’t you guys hook up once?” 

Jughead scoffed. ‘Once’ was a bit of an overstatement. 

If ‘hook up’ meant going on a date where he’d been forced to sit through two hours of mind numbing, soul sucking, vacuous conversation, then yeah ... they’d hooked up once. 

“Nothing happened between us.” 

“Oh I bet nothing did.” Toni murmured in a way that sounded like she didn’t believe him. 

He shook his head, too tired to argue with her. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought they knew about his dating history, he knew the truth. 

Despite what some people believed, he wasn’t the type to fuck every single girl he came across. 

“Even if nothing happened back then,” She continued, “Are you really telling me you wouldn’t be interested now?” 

For the first time in the last hour Jughead grinned properly. 

No he wouldn’t be interested. At all. Not when he already had Betty Cooper’s warmth and undivided affection waiting for him. 

It had been a week since they had spoken in the Blue and Gold and so far keeping their budding relationship a secret hadn’t been that hard. 

At school they had agreed to keep their contact as it had been before; minimal. 

They shared quick glances in the hallways and small smiles in class when no one was looking. 

Yesterday though, he had run the risk of being caught when he had pulled her into a janitor closet and kissed her senseless, touching his fingers to her core, her cries drowned out by the hand he had over her mouth, his actions emboldened by the teasing looks she kept giving him during English, bringing her to ecstasy within a matter of minutes. 

Outside of school things were less complicated. 

Away from the scrutiny of potentially prying or judgemental eyes, they didn’t have to hide. They could move at their own pace. 

Finding places where they could truly be alone was their only challenge, but they managed. 

The afternoon they’d spent, lying on the secluded banks of Sweet Water River - talking - with her head nestled on his thigh and her delicate fingers playing with and tracing the rough lines of his hand, was his favourite memory so far. 

Maybe it was a bit fast and maybe it was a bit presumptuous of them to think it would always be like this. 

They were still learning each other, growing and slowly molding themselves together, but Jughead couldn’t escape the fact that of all the people he’d met and known, no one had ever aligned with him quite so perfectly. 

Sadly, their investigation had hit a bit of a snag. 

They’d spent a good couple of days searching the Northside of Riverdale high and low for any signs or mysterious ‘Xs’. When their search had turned up nothing, Jughead had scoured various parts of the Southside as well, with no luck either. 

He could tell that it bothered Betty at first. 

She had been adamant that the tape wasn’t a prank. Insisting that there had to be more. That was no point to it. No punchline or reason behind it. 

He had agreed, frowning because it didn’t make sense, but with no new leads to follow, they had no choice but to begrudgingly stop the investigation for now. 

Jughead let his eyes drift towards the main building, wondering what she was doing now. If she was all alone in the Blue and Gold or if she’d decided to have lunch with her friends today. 

And if there was some way he could make the next few hours pass pass quickly. 

“Um ... hello, you still in there Jones!” 

He felt something hard smack his shoulder and immediately turned his head, glaring at Toni. 

“What?” He snapped. 

“I asked if you would be interested in doing something with Jules?” 

“No, I wouldn’t. Quit asking me that!” 

She held up her hands defensively, making a face that made it clear she was sorry and knew he probably wanted to be alone. 

He sighed quietly, guilt for getting mad at her twisting inside him when she tucked her book inside her bag and stood up, lighting a cigarette for herself. 

He considered having another one as well when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth when he saw a new text from Betty. 

_**B: Can you come to the B &G ASAP? ** _

His eyebrows pulled together slightly. 

On any other day he would’ve read that differently, thinking that maybe she wanted to see him so that they could steal a moment and hook up, but there was something about the ‘ASAP’ that filled him with dread.

Fear and a mild sense of panic prickled it’s way to the surface as he typed back his response. 

**_J: On my way_ **

He thought about asking her if she was okay, but quickly realised that if he did, she would probably send back something along the lines of “I’ll explain when you get here.” 

It would be quicker to just go. 

Shoving his phone back in his pocket, Jughead draped the strap of his messenger bag over his shoulder and got to his feet. 

“Where are you heading off to?” Toni asked curiously, tearing her eyes away from Sweet Pea and Fangs ‘game’ for a moment. 

“I have something personal I need to take care of, I’ll see you later, alright.” 

He was about to leave the shelter of the bleachers when she stepped in front of him. “We still haven’t discussed what we’re going to do about Andrews.” 

Jughead growled under his breath, suddenly aggravated. 

_Archie-fucking-Andrews._

Despite the clear warning Jughead given him in the parking lot, it seemed he and his idiotic friends hadn’t quite gotten the message. Since then not a day had gone by without them taunting the Serpents in the hall way or making snide comments in class. 

They were playing with fire - an angry, wildfire - and it was only a matter of time until they learnt that. 

He expelled a heavy gust of air. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with this shit right now, especially with Betty wanting to see him so badly. 

“I know,” He murmured, running a hand over his face, “I know. We’ll discuss it tomorrow, okay. For now my orders still stand, we don’t touch them.” 

Toni gave her head a slow nod, narrowing her eyes a little. “Sure. You got it, Jones.” 

He noticed how wary she looked. He knew it wasn’t the answer she wanted, but it was the best one he could give her at the moment. 

With a fleeting smile, he ducked his head and darted out into the chilly rain. 

  
  


~

The hallways were empty and quiet when Jughead reached the Blue and Gold, damp and a little out of breath. 

He almost thought Betty wasn’t in the office until he spotted her standing in the corner with her back to him. 

“Betts?” 

He let his eyes travel around the room quickly, trying to see if something had happened or if there was someone else with her, but she was alone and nothing seemed out of place. 

When she didn’t respond he frowned and stepped over the threshold, closing the door behind him. He moved towards her slowly, letting his bag drop to the floor with a loud thud, hoping it would get her attention. 

It didn’t, which only made him more concerned. 

“Hey, you okay?” He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder once he was close enough. 

She flinched with surprise and immediately turned to look at him, her eyes wide, a mixture of shock and fear skewed across her face. 

Panic set in at once. 

“Betts ... what is it? What’s happened?” 

He cupped her cheeks in his palms carefully, anxiously looking her over until he spotted the envelope clutched in her hands. 

He froze, swallowing hard before he reached out and gently took it from her. He already knew what he was going to see when he turned it over - the large, black ‘X’ scrawled on the front of it making his jaw flex. 

“I just found that in the Blue and Gold’s mailbox.” Betty mumbled.

Jughead looked at her cautiously, like he couldn’t believe this was happening. 

He hesitated, especially when he saw the doubt reflected in her eyes, neither of them sure if they should risk opening it or not. 

“Jug ...” The small nod she gave him, told him that despite how they felt, they had to do this. They needed to know. 

He positioned his fingers, his stomach twisting with nervous anticipation as he tore open the envelope and pulled out the small piece of paper inside. He unfolded it, scanning over whatever had been written down. 

12:00pm 

It was a time, centered right in the middle of the page. Nothing else.

Betty moved closer, pressing her shoulder into his so that she could see as well. 

“What does it say?” 

“Nothing,” He flipped it over to check if there was anything on the back, but it was blank, “It’s just a time.” 

“For what though?” She asked, holding the edge of the paper between her fingers, but not trying to pry it from his grasp. 

“I don’t know,” Jughead murmured back, “But I think we can say that this definitely supports that stepping stone theory of yours.” 

A tiny smile appeared on her lips and her cheeks flooded with red, touched that he had remembered. 

“Yeah I guess it does, now all we have to do is figure out what it means.” 

It was a good question, one that both of them really wanted the answer too. After a week of dead ends and speculation, this was the first solid lead they had and they were definitely going to follow it. 

He had to admit, even if the tape and letter made him feel on edge, there was a certain thrill to following a mystery that he had come to appreciate. A feeling that was only enhanced even more knowing that he got to do it with Betty. 

He looked at her when he felt her step away him, watching as she started to pace back and forth, her mind already fixated on the task at hand. 

God, she was so brilliant. 

In the short amount of time they’d spent together already, he’d come to admire a lot of things about her. 

In moments like these he liked how she wasn’t afraid to throw herself into something. To let herself to get completely encompassed in a thought. 

Her determination, the way she handled herself was downright sexy to him, to the point where he found it incredibly hard to focus on anything else. 

He sucked in a soft breath, feeling his jeans start to tighten when he recalled the last time he’d felt like this. How he had ended up on the backseat of her car with her perched on top of him, his mouth closed around her breast, dragging her nipple between his teeth while she rode him into oblivion. 

“I think we have to go back to the house.” Betty said suddenly, whipping around to face him. 

“Back?” Jughead repeated, his ears and neck warming when he remembered that he was supposed to be thinking about the letter. Not about how turned on he was by her, “You -“ He cleared his throat, “- You mean back to Mrs Adams place?”

“Yes, this letter has to be from the same person who sent the tape, right? So her house has to be related somehow because ...” 

“... Because of the ‘X’ we found there?” 

A wide grin slowly spread over his lips, matching the massive one she already had stretched across hers. 

“Precisely,” Betty nodded, “It seems like a really simple answer I know, but it’s the only one that makes sense.” 

Jughead couldn’t help, but agree with her. Logically she was right. All the dots they had so far were connected. He had no idea where it would lead or what they would find though. Whether it would be significant or just another clue. 

In the end, there was only one way they could find out. 

“So you think we should check it out then?” He asked, searching her eyes carefully. 

“Well, I ... I‘m not sure,” She said, shrugging tentatively, “I mean, I want to. Do you?” 

_Did he?_

Folding the paper back up in his hands, Jughead went over to a nearby desk and leaned against it. He crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the ground, not quite sure what to say. 

He enjoyed investigating. It was oddly addictive and stimulating in a way. Something which his everyday life deprived him of, but if they did this. If they went any further, he knew that it might be hard or even impossible for them to walk away from it later. 

Not to mention that whoever was doing this could turn out to be dangerous. 

Had they even considered that? 

He didn’t really give a shit if something happened to him. He was a Serpent. A kid from the Southside. A certain amount of peril came with an existence like that most days. It was part of the package. 

Betty though ... He couldn’t bear the thought of putting her at risk. Of something happening to her. 

But she wanted to carry on and he wasn’t going to attempt to stop her. 

He would just have to find a way to try and keep her safe. 

“I think,” Jughead began, “That we’re too involved to walk away. At least for the moment anyway.” 

“Really?” She stepped towards him. 

He let out a throaty chuckle and reached forward, hooking his fingers through the belt loops of her jeans as he pulled her in, settling her between his legs. 

“Oh yeah, way too involved,” His suggestive tone made Betty giggle softly. He cupped her ass in his hands, his stomach flipping when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body into his. 

“So does that mean we’re going?” 

Jughead smirked, rolling his eyes at her like the answer should be obvious. “Of course it does. Like either of us are going to let this go.” 

She grinned, threading her fingers into the semi-wet hair on the back of his head when he leaned in and pressed his mouth against hers. 

What was the worst thing that could happen anyway? 

  
  


~~~

  
  


Jughead leaned against the seat of his motorbike, staring down Elm street as far as the light shining from the lamp posts allowed him to. 

From where he was standing, he could just make out the pristine white walls of the Cooper residence. The windows were still dark and there was no sign of any movement. 

When Betty had sent him a text saying that her mother had finally gone to sleep, he had sneaked out and made his way here, parking a few houses down to wait for her like they’d agreed. 

He checked the time. It was almost half past eleven which meant that if all went according to plan, she would show up soon. 

Shoving his hands back inside the pockets of his leather jacket, he heaved out a loud sigh and looked around. 

Jughead hadn’t spent much time in the suburbs on the Northside of Riverdale, but he was sure that if any existed on the Southside they wouldn’t look like this. Quiet. Peaceful. Safe. 

He could see the appeal. 

Part of him had often wondered if growing up in a house like the ones that surrounded him here would’ve made his life any better. 

Thanks to his own experiences and the experiences of his girlfriend - he now knew that where a person lived, whether it was in a grimy trailer or a house with a white picket fence, didn’t really matter. 

It was the people around that person who could either make or break a home. 

A series of loud thumps and what sounded like someone yelling caught Jughead’s attention then. He looked towards the house across the street from Betty’s, straightening up when he saw a girl with dark hair emerge from it, looking rumpled and furious. 

He narrowed his eyes, watching as she climbed into the car sitting in the driveway. 

Something about her seemed oddly familiar, like he’d seen her somewhere, but before he could contemplate the thought properly, the car roared to life and reversed into the road, speeding off into the distance. 

_Weird._

Jughead frowned and focused back on the house again, wondering who lived there and what could possibly have happened to get that girl so riled up when he heard footsteps trudging towards him. 

“Jug?” 

Not even a second later, Betty appeared out of the darkness, the street lamp towering above their heads drenching her in a wash of warm amber light as she stepped towards him. 

He instantly forgot what he’d been thinking about. 

“Everything alright?” 

He nodded, letting his eyes travel over her, taking in the dark, skin tight jeans, boots and the fitted, pitch black sweater she had on. 

He couldn’t remember if he’d ever seen her dress like that before. It was far cry from her usual look, but it suited her, better than she probably thought it did. 

“With you wearing that how could I not be.” 

Her cheeks immediately went pink, having not expected the compliment. 

“Oh, you like it?” She asked, nervously tugging on the sweater's hem and sleeves. 

The one corner of Jughead’s mouth lifted into a crooked smile. 

He guessed that “black” was a colour Alice Cooper tried to avoid having in her wardrobe as much as possible. Judging by the look of uncertainty in Betty’s eyes, she most likely applied the same rule to her daughter as well. 

Holding his girlfriend’s gaze, he moved towards her steadily, settling his hands on her hips, drawing her in. Her arms slipped under his jacket and around his torso in reply and he leaned down, trailing the tip of his nose along the slope of her neck, stopping at her ear. 

“You look so fucking sexy, Betts.” 

She giggled into his shoulder, smoothing her hands up the length of his back. “I wish I could say I wore it for you, but I was just trying to be subtle.” 

“Well your subtlety is turning me on.” He growled, catching her earlobe between his teeth, making goosebumps run over Betty’s skin. 

For a moment, he toyed with the idea of forgetting about the investigation so that he could show her just how aroused he was, until she moved her hands to his stomach and gently pushed him away. 

“Juggie, you know the deal. Investigate now, play later.” 

“Yeah, I know, I know.” He laughed. 

That was their newly formed rule and, besides, she was right. It was almost midnight anyway. There would be plenty of time for that afterwards. He just needed to exercise a little restraint. 

Jughead’s eyes ran over her legs again when she moved towards his bike and he groaned inwardly, hoping that he could. 

“Well then,” He turned and climbed onto the seat of his bike, holding out his hand. “Shall we?” 

“We shall.” Betty giggled, taking it. 

~

Having Betty’s arms wrapped around him tightly and her body huddled into his back was a feeling Jughead would never get tired of. 

It was her first time riding on a motorbike. She’d told him as much and while he could sense how nervous she initially was with every second that passed her discomfort seemed to ease. 

Now she leaned her weight with his like when he turned into a corner, grinning into his back, her laughter warm like honey in his ears. 

It was all he could think about until he turned onto Cumberland Avenue and something else caught his attention. It was a smell, one that reminded him a lot of the street fires people would burn in iron grates around the Southside to stay warm during the Winter. 

That's when he saw it, the plume of smoke in the distance and the unmistakable glow of a fire burning just beneath it. 

Fear settled low in his gut as he continued down the road, only slowing down when Mrs Adam’s house finally came into view. 

Or what was left of it. 

Angry orange flames covered every inch of it, bursting from the windows, licking at the inky black sky as they reduced the once beautiful home into nothing more than a twisted pile of charred wood and ash. 

Shocked and completely overwhelmed, Jughead sat on his bike, frozen with his mouth hanging open, the heat of the fire scorching his skin as he watched the roof collapse in a blaze of fire and smoke. 

Behind him, he barely registered Betty’s arms disappearing from around his torso until she ran into his line of sight. 

He snapped out of it and killed the engine, going after her at once. 

“Betty!” He grabbed her arm, stopping her before she got too close. 

Her eyes met his and he could see the horror in swimming in them - the same questions he was asking himself swirling around as well. 

_What on earth was happening?_

_Where was Mrs Adams?_

_Was she alive?_

_Was she ... dead?_

He looked back towards the house, grimacing as he watched as the fire engulfed the structure, consuming it without mercy. 

His heart clenched. 

The answer was obvious even if he didn’t want to say it out loud. 

“We have to go.” He murmured, “Betts, we need to leave.” 

She wasn’t listening though. Instead she had turned her head away from him, focusing on the house again. 

Confused, Jughead followed her gaze, not quite sure what she’d seen until he noticed what looked like a piece of paper on the side of the mailbox where they’d found the “X” before. When she moved, he reluctantly let her go, hesitating before he trailed after her. 

He watched as Betty ripped it off, his heart thumping wildly in his chest, the heat of the fire like a hot iron searing into their flesh now. 

He felt his stomach plummet and a lump formed in the base of his throat, cutting off his oxygen supply when she held the paper up for both of them and he saw what was written on it; 

Two words, in big black letters, that struck terror in his heart. 

**You failed.**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! 
> 
> Feel free to leave some kudos and let me know what your thoughts are!! Xx


End file.
